Los Coronas Thursday March 13
Dub FX & Opiuo Thursday March 20
Loon Lake Saturday March 29
Ball Park Music April 19 & April 20
March Sugarcane Collins Thursday 6th Spiral Kites + Verticoli Friday 7th Boil Up $5 Saturday 8th JaJa Sunday 9th Quiz Night Monday 10th Billy Whitton Tuesday 11th Dave Wilson Band Wednesday 12th Los Coronas + The Racoons $25pre/$30door Thursday 13th Sugartrain $4 Friday 14th Uncle Jed + Reuben Koops $15pre/$20door Saturday 15th Peter Hicks and the Blue Licks Sunday 16th Joe Pirere Monday 17th Ross Sermons Tuesday 18th DMR Trio Wednesday 19th Dub FX & Opiuo + Dameza $35pre/$45door Thursday 20th SW Marine Debrit Clean Up Fundraiser: Dave Wilson Band + Lively Up $10 Friday 21st
Standing Room Only: The Attraction + Forecast + Colours + Lingo + Modern Daze + Styne's Legends $15pre/$20door Sat 22nd Evan Carydakis Quartet Sunday 23rd Helen Crowther Monday 24th Matthew Fagan Tuesday 25th Homebrewed: Edge Radio Social Night Wednesday 26th Hayley Couper Band + Faye Blais + Genevieve Chadwick Thur 27th Perch Creek Family Jug Band $15pre/$20door Friday 28th Loon Lake + The Middle Names $15pre/$20door Saturday 29th Gus Mackay Sunday 30th Quiz Night Monday 31st April Ball Park Music + Papa Vs Pretty Sat April 19 & Sun April 20 Calling All Cars Saturday April 26 May Shaun Kirk Thursday May 1 Kniki and Mike Beal Thursday May 13
3 BRISBANE STREET HOBART 6234 4920
March 13th Gay Paris (NSW)rie
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March 15th The Lucky Dips (album launch)
w/ Mess O' Reds + J . Robert Youngtown + DJ BTC (FRONT BAR)
Treehouse
w/ B-Film & The Cannibalistic Po Howard Band + Smutty & The Cleaner + Irena Xer0 (BACK BAR)
(NZ) t ix m o n r e chgu Rog wk + Pin
March 21st ! s Bad Vibratcaiosns Of Humanity
Ironha Knees + AR) w/ Skun RONT B (F m u k + Hells
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March 20th Gorsha (VIC)
Ironhawk w/ Lacerta + R) (FRONT BA
w/ The 88's + Loob s (vic) + Babylon Howl
March 22nd Soi Dawg Fundraiser
6th March 2 and (VIC) t B Smith S gers (usa)
w/ The Roobs + Imperfecta + Asramj + The Paris End of Moonah + Roadkill + Duowls + DJ BTC + DJ No Requests + ANDY + DJ Summer Babe
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March 29th Greenthief
w/ Verticoli + Violet Swells (BACK BAR)
The Sin and Tonic s
w/ The Dead Mag gies + The 88's (FRONT BAR)
March 2 Bird B 8th lobs w/ Venu slight Overdriv
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Pub Meals
Lunch - Tues till Fri 12:30 till 2:30 Dinner - Tues till Sun - 5:30 till 8:30 *** New Mexican Night!!! Mexi-Cantina Wednesday's with Sir Mex-a-Lot*** Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are counter meals as usual. Awesome and cheap
News
News in Brief HOP HOP TOURING 101
STRING THEM UP
Hey dudes! Wanna learn how to be like super cool and famous and get like rich and do tours or whatevs? Then this might be of interest to you! On Wednesday March 5 at Youth Arts & Recreation Centre in Hobart, and on Thursday March 6 at Fresh Café in Launceston, Adam Jankie (COO Illusive Sounds/Manager Bliss’n’Eso) and Jonathon Notley (Bliss’n’Eso) will be taking workshops. Focusing on touring and live performance, attendees will learn all they need to know about both the performance side, and the organisational and business sides of touring. Numbers are very limited, so for more information, or to sign up, send an email to manager@musictasmania.org
So Deloraine will come alive with the sound of music. Well string music that is, with the annual Deloraine Stringfest Tasmania running from March 21 through to March 23. The festival brings together instrument makers, tone-wood suppliers, musicians and of course string music lovers together for a bunch of concerts, jam sessions, displays and workshops. More details from www.stringfesttas.com.
AND MORE STRING ACTION…
OPERATION RELOCATE BILLY William Braggadocio (Billy Bragg - that‘s probably not his real name, that thing I said at the start) wants you to know about the venue change for his performance in Hobart in March. Instead of Federation Hall, the shindig will now be taking place at the Hellenic Hall, a more intimate venue (plus, it’s licensed). Performance times will remain the same, with Courtney Barnett kicking off at 8pm, and Billy Bragg on stage at 8.45pm on Wednesday March 12. Incidentally, Courtney Barnett just signed a fancy new record deal, so congratulations to her, it’s well deserved! If you’re going to be at the gig, you should congratulate her in person, that’d be nice of you.
STEALING THE PSYCH
BRAVING THE BLUES
Psych rockers Greenthief recently released their highly anticipated debut album Voyage, and now they’re off on a big ol’ nation-wide tour to make sure you’ve got the whole album stuck in your noggins for a while. On Friday March 28 they’ll be rockin’ out at Hotel New York in Launceston, and on Saturday March 29 they’ll be rockin’ out at the Brisbane Hotel in Hobart. I’m not sure why they only chose to play at venues named after other places, but they did. The Brisbane Hotel gig promises to be a doozy, with supports from Verticoli and Violet Swells, and The Sin & Tonics and The 88’s playing in the front bar. $15 on the door.
Warp Tasmania MARCH 2014
Matthew Fagan is a 10 string Spanish Classical Guitarist/Ukelele virtuoso, and to use a term not often associated with that area of music, he’s going H.A.M. on the live shows right now. Here’s the rundown: on Saturday March 22 he’ll be at Stringsfest Deloraine. Sunday March 23 he’ll be at Swansea Town Hall. Tuesday March 25 at the Republic Bar in Hobart. Wednesday March 26 at Eaglehawk Neck Community Hall. Friday March 28 at Scottsdale Art Gallery Café. Saturday March 29 at Stanley Town Hall. He’ll even be doing a few workshops along the way. Geez. Dudes fingers are gonna be hella sore after all that., surely.
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Beyond Blue is a fantastic organisation that deserves every little bit of help that we can give them. To this end, Profound Effect on Saturday April 5 at the Brisbane Hotel in Hobart has been put together to raise awareness of Beyond Blue’s work, and raise money in support of them. There’s a massive lineup of local hiphop acts on the bill, consisting of: Dunn D, SkurgeOne, Aimza, Reflekt, Statik, Draz, Muller & Xplicit, Ziak, Remarcable, Swish Bank, Brett Bately, Tyrant, Stray, DJ Two Toes, DJ Secrets, Topski, Timmy Guy, SniperLab. There’ll also be breakdancers from around the state. Sounds like a right old party! It’s an 18+ event, and it’ll only cost you a fiver on the door!
SECRET BUSINESS
RAINING ROCK
PARISIAN TIMES
Gay Paris paryy hard. Their last tour was called “The Last Good Party”. This tour is called “The After Party Tour”. So what will you expect when they play The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart on Thursday March 13? Well... a party of course!
on Saturday April 5. Tickets are available from www.tixtas.com.au.
GIG GUIDE Submit your events to
gigs@warpmagazine.com.au
Streuth! James Reyne is still going! Good on him! He’s a bit of an Australian legend really. He’s hitting the road with Tracy and Brett Kingman, playing a selection of songs from his time as part of Australian Crawl, Company of Strangers, and his solo career. His most recent album, 2012’s Thirteen, received rave reviews from critics and is available now via iTunes. If you’d like to be in on a bit of the “A Crawl To Now: the national tour” action, you can do so at Wrestpoint Casino in Hobart on Friday April 4, and Country Club Casino in Launceston
Writers MARK ACHESON, KYLIE COX, SHANE CRIXUS, LISA DIBB, WENDY EDWARDS, NATHAN HEWITT, STEPHANIE ESLAKE, ANDREW HARPER, BRIDGET HICKEY, BRIONY KIDD, ERIN LAWLER, LYLE MITCHELL, NIC ORME, LUCINDA SHANNON, DANIEL TOWNSEND NEWS Submit your press releases plus publicity images through to the appropriate editor for consideration.
We at WarpNews have it on good authority that a group of terrorists referring to themselves as “Harmony” are planning to carpet bomb the entire east coast of Australia! We can only assume that “Harmony” is an acronym, short for “Humans Against Rap Music Of New York” and they are very lost and very confused. Or maybe I am. I dunno. Either way, “Harmony” will be “Carpetbombing” the “Brisbane Hotel” on “Saturday April 12”. It all sounds dubious and dangerous. If you’re some kind of super cool secret agent or international man/woman of mystery, please head along and take notes. Otherwise it’s probably best to live in a cave with a lot of tinned foods for a while.
BALLPARK TERRITORY Of the 20 gigs Ball Park Music will be playing throughout Australia from March to May, 4 of them will be in Tasmania. That’s
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a pretty good strike rate for us. Go us. On Thursday April 17 they’ll be playing at Hotel New York in Launceston. On Friday April 18 they’ll be playing at the Butter Factory in Burnie. On Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20, they’ll be playing at The Republic Bar & Café in Hobart. Their third album Puddinghead, will hit the shelves on Friday April 4, just a couple of weeks before they visit our island. Tickets for all gigs are already on sale, and you can already get a taste of the first single (titled “She Only Loves Me When I’m There”) from the new album on the innawebz.
MEXICAN CLOWNS INVADE TASMANIA FOR SOME DUDE TIME
Two of Melbourne’s most (un)likely counterparts, hardcore punk rock dingbats, Clowns and Mexi-garage noise freakout legends, Mesa Cosa, are combining party forces all in the name of chaos this April/ May to take a whirlwind 10 date travelling freakshow of a tour around the country. Both bands are armed with recent releases and a thirst for rowdiness. Punters can expect numerous buddies of the bands joining bills to create total nonsense mixed bills of variety, stupidity, chaos and fun. To be a part of that craziness that is the “Crucial Dudes Tour 2014”, head along to The Royal Oak Hotel in Launceston on Saturday April 19, or The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart on Sunday April 20.
IT’S FAT Fatty Phew is about to embark on his first ever national tour to promote the third instalment in his Best Things in Life EP series, Best Things in Life are Three. Starting in his hometown of Geelong, then making his return to Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, as well as hitting up regional Victoria, Hobart and Newcastle, Geelong’s Finest MC will bring his live show to more people than ever before. With supports including some of the best up and coming locals from each town, The “Best things in Life Tour” is a not-to-be missed part of 2014. Saturday April 26 is the date to catch him in Hobart, at The Homestead on Elizabeth Street. Supports include Reflekt, Statik & Draz. Cover charge is $12.
PUMP THOSE FISTS
Calling All Cars will be playing at the Republic Bar and Café on Saturday April 26 with special guests The Love Junkies, and The Sinking Teeth. It’s part of the national “Raise the People” tour, to celebrate the release of their new album, also called Raise The People. That album will be available for purchase on Friday March 7, and is being touted as “their most fistpump worthy material yet.” I can’t come up with any funny gags to put in this article, but having your publicists refer to your music as “their most fist-pump worthy material yet” is more than enough, I think. So pump those fists come April.
THE BROWN NOTE Friday May 9 to Sunday May 11 will be a low end lover’s dream. From the crew that brings you Bass Jump, “Bassed In Hobart 1 - 2014” is three days of Bass workshops, concerts, tutorials, jams and much more. This year will feature legendary American session player Andy Irvine. Also on the bill are the likes of Nick Haywood, Jeremy Alsop, Ben Brinkhoff, and Nigel Hope. To find out more information, you can check the full program (and ticketing info) over at www.bassedinhobart.com. Special early bird tickets at reduced rates are available, and to scoop yourself up one of those tickets, get in to Centertainment.
macabre dead Partridge in a burnt Pear Tree.
GET READY TO RUFUS
Rufus are about to be all over the country once again, playing about a billion gigs in about a billion places throughout May and June. This is good news, because there’s only about 24 million people in Australia, so we should each have roughly 41.666666667 opportunities to see them live. Unless you’re in Tasmania, which we all are. Us poor buggers only get one opportunity to see them live, and that’ll be at Wrest Point Showrooom on Saturday June 14. Tickets available from www.tixtas.com.au, by calling 1300 795 257, or from the Wrest Point Service Centre directly. It’s an 18+ event though, sorry kiddo.
COLE CAUSES COMMOTIONS THE VOICE OF GHANDI
Canadian four piece Propagandhi have solidified themselves as not only one of the most consistently innovative bands in the metallic-punk-rock area, but as a damning voice in socio-political affairs. Their 2012 release Failed States was a prime example of that. For the first time since that album saw the light of day, Propagandhi will be touring Australia. The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart, on Sunday June 1 will be the only opportunity to you get to see them (unless you head to the mainland, obviously). This one will definitely sell out, so get in early. Tickets are available now from The Brisbane Hotel, Ruffcut Records, or online via moshtix.
DONT MESS WITH THE MOFO Dark Mofo was easily the most badass thing to happen in Hobart last Winter, and 2014 is promising more splendid badassery. This time around, Dark Mofo will be extending its run, taking place in Hobart from Thursday June 12 to Sunday June 22 AND in Launceston from Friday June 20 to Saturday July 5. Building up to the solstice and Nude Solstice Swim in Hobart and beginning with the solstice and Nude Solstice Swim in Launceston, there’ll be Winter Feasts, large scale public artworks to light up the winter night, films, exhibitions, Dark Faux Mo, performances, installations and probably some kind of
Lloyd Cole is back again, this time taking on his most extensive tour ever. Hitting
all the major cities and a bunch of the regional centres along the way. The former front-man for The Commotions did the big stadium tour thing way back in ‘86, he did the Small Ensemble tour of 2011, he’s done a heap of solo tours in between, but this time he’s going where he’s never been before, MONA. Following the release of his most recent album Standards, Mr. Cole will be doing his thing at MONA on Friday July 4. Tickets are $20 + bf and are available via the MONA website (mona.net.au). Get in quick to hear some work from Standards, plus songs spanning his entire, long, celebrated career.
BIG BEARDS ARE IN Beards are bloody grouse. I have a beard and I am bloody grouse. Memes about beards are bloody grouse. Music made by a band called The Beards is definitely bloody grouse. The Beards just released an album called The Beard Album. It’s an album that is even more about beards than their first two beard albums are. You know what else it is? It’s bloody grouse. They’re setting off on a tour and playing three shows in our bloody grouse state. Thursday August 7 they’ll be at the Brisbane Hotel in Hobart, Friday August 8 at Spurs Saloon Bar in Devonport, and Saturday August 9 at The Royal Oak Hotel in Launceston. All three gigs will be bloody grouse. So go along, immerse yourself in beards. Be bloody grouse.
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Music
QUEEN OF HEARTS CALIFORNIAN DESERT BRUISERS QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE ARE NOT A VULNERABLE LOT BUT HAVE SUFFERED FOR THEIR ART THESE PAST FEW MONTHS. ...LIKE CLOCKWORK HAS WELL AND TRULY SETTLED IN CONTEMPORARY ROCK CONSCIOUSNESS – WITH ACCLAIM TOTALLY DUE – AND NOW JOSH HOMME AND HIS GROWING COLLECTIVE ARE SETTING OUT TO REINVIGORATE THEMSELVES AND THEIR FOLLOWERS. GUITARIST, VOCALIST AND SYNTH-WIELDER TROY VAN LEEUWEN BELIEVES AUSTRALIAN PUNTERS WILL PROVIDE THE TONIC NEEDED TO SOOTHE RECENT INDUSTRYAFFLICTED WOUNDS.
“I know our Australian audiences are badass,” Leeuwen says. “They seem like they’re the true Queens fans, and they’ve been waiting years for us. We can’t wait either.” The boys haven’t played in Australia since their Soundwave set in 2011 and Leeuwen promises a more refined contextual scope this time around: “That was our nostalgia period. We’ve all grown since; we’re concerned with current stuff now.” The promise of current stuff, it seems, was not enough to hold the appeal of mainstream audiences when Queens almost performed alongside Trent Reznor and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsay Buckingham at the Grammy Awards last month. Leeuwen concedes their curbed appearance was a departure to begin with. “We don’t normally do those kinds of shows. I guess [the Grammys] are not the art awards – they’re not based on the merit of your art or music – they’re based on sales and popularity.” He admits to being most bothered by their pulled slot but insists everybody is looking forward.
“We’re most excited by our upcoming Australian tour, and especially our trip to Tasmania. It’s really a beautiful place. The photography you see is really beautiful. You can’t call it the bottom of the world – it’s not like somewhere in Mississippi. I’m really glad it’s happening.” Leeuwen suggests the quintet worked hard at accurately recreating the complex ensembles heard on ...Like Clockwork live. On the album, he says complexity was hard-earned. “You never know yourself what kind of record you’re going to make, and it wasn’t the easiest one to make.” The reception since has helped keep them happy: “We’ve got hope that we’re doing something right [laughs].” The process of reaching the creative need for ...Like Clockwork looks to have been tumultuous for all involved. Following a near-fatal botched knee operation back in 2010 the monolithic Homme was hit hard by depression, a condition that would later become his muse. Leeuwen reflects his situation later resulted well for the group.
“We were definitely pulled tighter. At the end of the day, when your friend is going through something, you go through it too.” He never pegged Homme as being capable of such vulnerability but says the closer unit responded well. “This is new territory for Josh. I’ve been friends with him for 8 years, and we’ve never dealt with anything like it.” Tracks like ‘Fairweather Friends’ then, Leeuwen supposes, speak of Homme’s desire for true companionship in the face of mortality. “Like the song says, if you can’t go through battles with your friends, then you don’t really have friends.” Regardless, as professionals, the troupe had no trouble courting help from erstwhile friends. Troy recalls having a “feather-less” Elton John on-side as particularly challenging for the team. “On the day that Elton showed up, everybody rolled up their sleeves,” he says. “He thought coming in we’d have him singing on a ballad but we invited him in on ‘Fairweather Friends’, and he assimilated so well.” Iconic though John’s voice is, Leeuwen reckons he had no problem with supporting their final mix rather than sitting atop it. “He’s so versatile, so able to work with music that is foreign to him. It turned out great. He got so excited by our ideas and that made me feel great. But we didn’t try and disguise him in there.” With the coming ...Like Clockwork tour comes also the Australian debut of drummer Jon Theodore. In comparison to Joey Castillo, who has drummed under Homme for ten years, Leeuwen says Theodore’s approach is “more finessed.” “Joey is a monster of a man,” he says, “and plays with so much power. Jon has the same aggressive sensibility, but he’s not as much of a thrasher.” He thinks Dave Grohl represents a junction between their two styles: “Dave has all of their stuff. He’s a freak.” Apply Jon to ...Like Clockwork exclusively, though, and Leeuwen believes he’s the best fit. “Jon works well with the new material, because there’s some delicate stuff, and together we didn’t realize how hard it was to play live. But Jon’s able to pull back and swing it a little.” Leeuwen himself has been a member of Queens since Lullabies to Paralyze dropped in 2006 and accurately rates his presence as perpetually vital to the band’s core sound. “I played a lot of bass to begin with,” he remembers. “I played a lot of piano, a lot of lapsteel (think ‘3’s and 7’s, ‘Sick Sick Sick’) and guitar occasionally.” He says ...Like Clockwork required more. “We wanted a modern sound, so I brought in some synths. We used Minimoogs and the like.” Alongside initiate Michael Shuman and Dean Fertita, Leeuwen has everything covered on-stage. “We’re able to recreate whatever a given song needs. There’s a lot of shit on stage, I will say that. We’ve got about seven keyboards up there, a lapsteel, and our guitars. We’re all singing now too.” Leeuwen’s assessment seems to be that Australian fans will see an updated and confident Queens of the Stone Age when mid-March rolls around. Homme and his crew have dealt with their hindrances and are still an aggressive, subversive institution bent on progress, so the remaining hope is few will recognise them for all their growth when finally seen and heard. NATHAN HEWITT
Queens Of The Stone Age bring their ...Like Clockwork tour to Hobart on Monday March 24 at the Odean Theatre. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
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Music
RENTING A STAGE NEAR YOU “IT’S ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS I HAVE EVER SEEN”. MENZINGERS GUITARIST/VOCALIST GREG BARNETT IS TRYING TO SWAY ME ON TRUE DETECTIVE. I HAVE NOT SEEN IT, I ADMIT, BUT HAVE HEARD ITS FEMALE CHARACTERS ARE UNDEVELOPED AND UNINTERESTING AT BEST. I TELL HIM TO THE LAST TIME SOMEONE RECOMMENDED A SHOW TO ME, I WATCHED TWO AND A HALF SEASONS OF AMERICAN HORROR STORY. I HAVE A PROBLEM. The Menzingers are about to release Rented World, their fourth full-length album. Along with that, they’ll be touring Australia with The Smith Street Band. Barnett tells me how this latest record came to be.
The Menzingers will be playing alongside The Smith Street Band, with support from Grim Fandango and Speech Patterns on Wednesday March 26 at The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart and then moving on the following night to The Pav in Launceston. Rented World is due out April 18 through Epitaph.
“The last record was two years ago; In Remission, a single we released online, that was the first song we had for the record. On one of the European tours, that song started coming out, so we got a practice space in Philly and kept a rigorous schedule. Every break we used all of our downtime wisely, went there five days a week, hashed out the songs. The whole writing process was different [on previous records]; we all used to live together, and write songs in the basement. It was different to have a rehearsal spot, you can hear what everybody’s doing, and we also spent a lot of time on the vocals and harmonies”
But it’s not all Euro tours and Philadelphia basements: the band had a stack of their gear stolen one night while playing some shows in Manchester. But the generosity of the scene and their fans gave them new hope through online donations. “We were on tour with Bouncing Souls, we played an awesome sold out show and went to the bar to celebrate. Our van was outside the club, someone broke in through the window and took my backpack, which had in it our tour money, a laptop, personal items. They also took some other bags...but we were lucky, it was pretty wild that we raised the money that got stolen. We raised enough money in a day, we could not believe it. It was such an eyeopening experience. Sometimes you can feel disconnected when you see people at shows [but] something like this is so insanely personal”
But despite the ups and downs of being a touring band, it seems Barnett wouldn’t be doing anything else. “When we started the band, our goal was ‘let’s write music we enjoy, let’s travel and see as many places as possible, and make as many friends as possible’; it seems silly to travel around the world and not meet anyone. It’s kind of a jaded thing, [cynical] people travel like that for a living, they’re so tired and over the experience of trying new things: “Oh, I’ve been here before”” Catch the Philly punks when they fly by your town this March. LISA DIB
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Music
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK THE EMPIRE IS GROWING, REACHING OUT ITS HANDS ACROSS THE WORLD… AND LUKE STEELE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER.
Spending his time between LA, New Zealand and Australia, we tracked down Luke on a small hiatus to his home town of Perth, ‘to catch up with the folks’, as 2014 shapes up to be a huge year for Empire of the Sun. “Everything couldn’t be better. We’ve just done a whole bunch of tours, the record is going great and it’s just the start of 2014 and we’ve basically got the whole of this year sorted,” Luke said. 2013 was full of tours and dates all over the US and Europe, and the long awaited release of the bands second album Ice on the Dune (Walking on a Dream was released in 2008) and this year is going to be far from boring. The Empire have shows pencilled in for everywhere from The Philippines, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia to the US, plus a few special dates in Australia thrown in for good measure. “As the Empire keeps spreading, we keep getting invited to so many different events in different countries. Plus I always have about 5 different things going on, writing for myself, writing for others, working on the stage show, producing stuff…. But I’m really focussed now. You reach a point where you realise you can’t go out all the time and party and stuff; you need to conserve your time and energy. The last 10 years have been a really good learning curve.” And with such a visually spectacular show as the Empire is, there’s a travelling troupe of between 17 and 20 people to organise and tour with, and a fair bit of luggage.
“We are a bit of a tight knit team now, everyone is pretty pro, and there’s a fair bit of freight. We usually take our own staging and lighting rigs. There’s usually one truck to carry the gear, plus the tour bus.” And a then factor in a fair bit of preparation time before the show, with Luke admitting it takes him a few hours. Empire of the Sun are heading to Tasmania as part of the Breathe of Life Festival, lighting up the long weekend in March at Inveresk Park, Launceston, which is much more than simply an amazing music festival, the event is also raising funds for the Lung Foundation Australia. Empire of the Sun will be joining bands such as Stafford Brothers, Parkway Drive, Art vs Science, Public Enemy, Knife Party, Public Enemy and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for a diverse and entertaining day of musical mayhem. “It’s rad to be heading back to Tassie. It’s so nice there and I haven’t been there for years.” KYLIE COX
See Empire of the Sun perform on the main stage at Breath of Life Festival, Launceston on Saturday March 8. Tickets available at all regular outlets.
GET LUCKY ROCK AND ROLL IS A SECRET HISTORY TOLD IN OBJECTS. EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT ROCK IS BUT IT’S ACTUALLY HARD TO DESCRIBE IN WORDS; IT IS A THING BEST FELT. ROCK LIVES IN ARTEFACTS, AND THERE IS NO MORE PERFECTLY SYMBOLIC ARTEFACT OF ROCK OR PUNK OR HEAVY METAL THAN THE 7” SINGLE RECORD.
A 7” is a message in a bottle. 7’s resonate with the history of rock, with jukeboxes and garage bands and people dancing in lounge rooms. That’s just as much what rock is as the live show, and given the fleeting nature of bands, records can be important. They might outlast every single person whose output is contained in the grooves. One small vinyl disc might be the sole legacy of a whole life . I love 7” records. I like sitting around playing them, the physical engagement required sitting me next to the turntable, delicately lower the diamond tip into the spiral scratch. Singles are fun. Tommy Gun Records, the venerable music store that does a fine job providing the good persons of Hobart with a steady stream of the finest music possible has taken the step of becoming a music label. Tommy Gun Records has released a neat split 7” featuring store owner Adam MacGregor’s 10
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fine punky trio The Lucky Dips and J Robert Youngtown. It’s record worth checking right out. The Dips do their trademark “we like classic punk and we’re going to play what we like to hear“ thing and really slice the mustard with great precision on a charming track called “Never Coming Back”, a joyous little philosophical musing on mortality, which suggests that you have but one life and you should kick it in the guts with all your might. Amen. Flip the record over (I suggest using two hands and only touching the label because your fingers may easily mark the tiny grooves) and you will hear the classic rock inspired song writing skill of J Robert Youngtown, a mystery figure from Launceston who has been making his very own tunes (with a steady study of the finer moments of the Who for navigation) for a decade. It’s quite a recording featuring input from session players You Am I drummer Rusty
Hopkinson, Jon Auer from The Posies and Redd Kross bassist Steven McDonald. Obviously, you can slide on into Tommy Gun Records and score yourself a copy of this gem, but there’s going to be some launch events to check right out, and you can go if you’re in Hobart or in Launceston (or you can get crazy and go to both, it is only two hours by car). Check the bands out live and grab yourself a small chunk of history. ANDREW HARPER
The Lucky Dips and J Robert Youngtown launch their split 7” on Saturday March 15 at The Brisbane Hotel with support from Mess O’ Reds and in Launceston on Friday April 4 at The Pav with support from The Hambergers. Also see J Robert Youngtown perform from midday on Saturday April 5 at Nanna’s Coffee and Vintage in Launceston.
Music
BAND OF BROTHERS ANYONE WITH A BROTHER OR TWO MIGHT CRINGE AT THE IDEA OF FORMING A FAMILY BAND. BUT FOR THE BOYS IN LOON LAKE, MUSIC AND BROTHERLY LOVE ARE A PERFECT MATCH. GUITARIST SIME NOLAN SHARES WITH US THE UPS AND DOWNS OF HAVING THREE BROS IN ONE BAND AHEAD OF THEIR MARCH 29 GIG AT THE REPUBLIC BAR.
Nic, Sam, and Sime are first and foremost a band of brothers. Joined by their good mates Tim Lowe and Dan Bull, the siblings share a unique bond that allows for free flowing musical ideas (and the occasional family tiff). “It’s really good – most of the time,” Sime jokes. “You can say what you want more, though I think the conflicts can blow up easier too. We’re pretty open with each other and we get things done quickly, and that’s how it is. In other situations, you mightn’t say what you really feel all the time, but we can.” When asked about how he balances his family and professional relationships, Sime says “it can get tricky, but it’s always fine – we’re brothers forever.” With a big age difference between the siblings, Sime says they grew up rarely in the same place at the same time. But once they all moved down to Melbourne, the brothers recruited Nic’s best mate Tim on bass, and guitarist Dan who had met Sam while travelling in Turkey.
Though last year’s hit single ‘Cherry Lips’ reached number 29 on the Triple J Hottest 100, the boys had just been taking life as it comes, with Sime admitting, “we really did not intend to start a band.” “We were just playing for fun, having a couple of Thursday night get-togethers and jams. Then we started making a few of our own tracks, put them on the internet and realised they started to get a bit of interest, so we pushed a lot harder and that was four years ago, now.” Although the band didn’t anticipate their current levels of success, they’re working as hard as they can to balance their commitments to music with their full time jobs. “Music is a bit of a juggling act. Things have got a lot more intense with the band and we all have to fit in our day jobs around it.” A full time school teacher himself, Sime doesn’t waste a minute and even snuck in some composition for their debut album Gloamer at his work.
don’t know when they’re going to strike.” The album came about as all members of the band were experiencing big life changes as well as working – Sam and Dan each suffered from big break ups, and Sime was graced with a new baby boy, Lenny. “I hope he plays an instrument – but I’m not going to make him. I hope he enjoys it because it’s a good past time. When I play guitar he seems to really like it.” Hobart audiences can expect to enjoy it too when Loon Lake hits up the Republic – and Sime says he’s equally looking forward to making it down to the island. “The only time we’ve been down to Tassie is for Falls, and we had a ball. We thought Tassie was really beautiful so we’re stoked to come down there again.” STEPHANIE ESLAKE
“I wrote two of the songs on this album in my classroom in the lunch break – you
Loon Lake will bring their Good Times Tour to the Republic Bar on Saturday March 29 and the show will also feature special guests The Middle Names and Chase City. Tickets are available via www.loonlake.com.au.
including guitar pedals and synths built by Simon from kits bought online (one of his hobbies). “We used the synths to create dreamy sounds under pop songs.” Simon says, being the source of all their “Donna Summer” sounds on the new album.
Some elements of the album however won’t translate to the live show this month. With most of Simon’s homebuilt music devices staying home due to their fragility, “the live show is not an exact replica of the new album”.
Simon maintains that there is a “Holidays sound” with “certain hallmarks felt across both albums and that they “We’re mindful if our sounds were too far out and not Holidays we would snap it back.”
Make sure you check out when The Holidays hit town for an audio travelogue of the band’s last few years. It might not remind you of tropical beaches and palm trees, but you are guaranteed to be taken somewhere.
HOLIDAYS ARE GOOD I HAVEN’T HAD A REAL HOLIDAY IN WELL QUITE SOME TIME. I’VE BEEN TOLD THAT A ‘CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS A HOLIDAY’ BUT IT DOESN’T TO ME AT LEAST RING TRUE AS SITTING ON A TROPICAL BEACH SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC UNDER A COCONUT TREE, UNLESS OF COURSE ‘CHANGE’ MEANS YOU MOVING TO SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC WHERE YOU CAN LIE ON A TROPICAL BEACH UNDERNEATH A COCONUT TREE.
The band The Holidays seem to have gone down the ‘change’ path with their second album Reel Feel. This however was not before an extended travel period following their debut album Post Paradise. “We took a little bit of time...travelling most of 2011 and started in 2012 trying to find what we wanted to do.” Says singer and multi-instrumentalist, Simon Jones. This time was spent touring and travelling Europe and The U.S. The latter was covered in a “whirlwind two weeks” including a festival slot at SXSW in Austin Texas which was everything that the band had hoped touring to be. Their travels of the UK were far more prolonged and according to the Simon “we felt it was a weird extension of the Australian scene – it didn’t feel that different.” A second album is about maturing. This was no different for The Holidays. A lot of experimentation went on using new gear
So what is The Holidays “sound”? Well according to Simon, “we’re about happy music with lyrics that are not necessarily so”. Singles ‘Voices Drifting’ and ‘All Time High’ give listeners an idea of the direction the band has headed down with the new album. The Real Feel says Simon is a “rhyming way of putting a dreamy vibe sound we are after making it into solid kind of songs – themes of wanderlust, memories “the real feel”.
NIC ORME
The Holidays will be holidaying in Hobart at The Waratah Spa and Heath Resort in Hobart on Saturday March 22. Tickets are available through www.oztix.com.au. Reel Feel is out now via Liberation Records.
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Music
STAUNCHING OUT THE DANCEFLOOR FORMED IN 2011 BY THE PAIRING OF SHADOW FX’S JAMES HAYES WITH ALGERNON RENTON (POSITIVE THOUGHT/MUSTARD TIGER), STAUNCH BECAME THE CREATIVE TITLE FOR THEIR BASS HEAVY, FUNK LADEN MIDTEMPO BREAKS/ GLITCH HOP PROJECT.
Shadow FX was created in 2002 by Northern NSW born producer James Hayes. He had begun his musical career at an early age, studying and playing guitar and drums in high school. After discovering psytrance in his late teens, he progressed to DJing and finally to writing his own intricate style of trance for the esteemed progressive label Zenon Records. Following the release of his well received 2007 debut album Direct Influence, James was nominated for Beatport’s artist of the year award in 2008. James has also released on a number of labels including ZMA, Iboga, Bio-sine, Cosmic Conspiracy records and has performed at festivals and club shows worldwide. Also from the Northern NSW, Algernon Renton started producing music in 2003, and in 2009 Alg released his first Positive Thought album This is Not a Workshop on UP Records. Since then, Alg has been producing music at breakneck pace in various styles with well-known aliases such as Mustard Tiger, Yeti and Jeremy Glitchard - to name a few. Considered a force to be reckoned with within the electronic music industry, Alg has dominated Addictech charts with Mustard Tiger, and recently accomplished a successful USA tour in 2012. Alg also has releases with UP, 12
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Sundance, Dooflex, Yellow Sunshine Explosion and Regen Records, and has made himself a staple in the Australian festival scene. Now both based in Melbourne, James and Alg have have made a name for themselves as a duo under the Staunch alias since the first EP was released in 2011 through Hopskotch Records. Having played at all Australia’s major festivals (Rainbow, Eclipse, Maitreya etc) alongside icons such as Opiuo, Spoonbill and Tipper, Staunch are fast becoming a household name amongst the glitch and breaks scene. ALSION McCRINDLE
Be staunch with Staunch at The Homestead in Hobart on Friday March 14. Doors from 9pm and entry is $15.
Music
SIGN TO SUCCESS WE PROBABLY SHOULDN’T GIVE PEOPLE ANYMORE INGENIOUS IDEAS OF STEALING THE TREASURED STREET SIGN: PARKWAY DRIVE. ALL AVID FANS WOULD KNOW, AND IF YOU’RE NEW TO AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST METAL/HARDCORE BAND, YOU CAN EASILY JOIN THE DOTS.
bands around at the moment. Hopefully the ones that count can last through the next down period. The road in Byron Bay which inspired your band name, that sign, how many times has it been stolen? Surely it has had landmines put around it by now? More times than you can count. Whenever it gets replaced it’s gone within the week. Poor neighbours.
The five piece outfit named themselves after their humble band practicing abode, the place where growls bellowed out of over sleepy back-town Bryon Bay. “We don’t want to call it all that cliché fucking shit: Blood on the hand with wings,” said guitarist Luke Kilpatrick. “Death piano,” proclaimed guitarist Jeff Ling. Please refer to Parkway’s first documentary for more of a history lesson.
is no way around it; travel day after day just takes its toll. There is so much time spent lugging gear after no sleep, playing shows in 60 degree sweat boxes and worrying about the drinking water just hammers you down. You’ve hit the ten year milestone as a band. Can we see you guys around for another ten? How long do you realistically think Parkway has left?
It’s the band’s third time playing at Tassie’s biggest one day music festival, Breath of Life. After sweating it out in Mexico and South America it’s time we once again showed Parkway Drive that “home is where the heart is”.
Yeah we’ll still be here, in some shape or form. Maybe we’ll be a country band by then, who knows haha. At this point we are all still loving what we do and loving making music so why not stick around?
So your tour in South American and Mexico, how did they go? Are fans still throwing back guitar riffs in melodic form like they did the last time you visited (think Wild Eyes)?
Hypothetically- If Parkway was to retire, would you be happy with the way the Australian hardcore/metal scene is now? Northlane and The Amity Affliction pretty much have it covered right?
Haha yeah they like to sing, it’s great. So loud, every night, every riff, and then in between songs it’s all football chants. Perfect.
To be brutally honest, I don’t really care, but that statement does need a little explanation. I think every “scene” has its ups and downs and right now I think the popularity of heavy music in Australia has swung up again. Give it a few years and it will drop back down. It’s the inevitable way of all trends, and make no mistake, band popularity is always linked with trends in some way shape or form. At the moment there are some great bands and some crap bands, but that’s always the case. Show size aside I think there are some awesome
Is it physically and mentally tougher to tour these days? Is age catching up with you? Yeah it doesn’t get easier. We know what we are in for these days and we know how to cope, but tours like this one in South America are just physically gruelling. There
What’s the attraction to metal/hardcore music for fans in Australia? I think it’s an outlet, a sense of rebellion and a sense of belonging. It offers the visage of an anti culture coupled with a safe danger. I think that is the attraction that leads to the boom in popularity. Obviously this isn’t the only reason people latch onto heavy music, but the more I’ve looked at it over the years the more it tends to draw comparison to many other musical cultures. They all want to stand out by fitting in to something. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just the way it is. Off stage you’ve got to have some fun right? Is it true member Jeff Ling passed for being a 70-year-old when disembarking off a plane in a wheel chair? Take us through the event. Probably, although I can’t remember it exactly. Jeff gets mistaken for a 70-yearold on the reg anyway haha. Our sound guy gets mistaken for a terrorist every time he checks in for a flight. So Motorhead pulled out of a European festival last year, making you guys headliners to a crowd of 30,000 people. What was the festival and how was that experience? It was With Full Force Festival in Germany. We’ve played it twice before, it’s an amazing
fest. Headlining the main stage was nuts. It was probably the only time I’ve doubted the band, simply because of the sheer size of the event; it’s a hell of a responsibility. I mean, if we’re not big enough it would be very easy to go down in flames in front of 30,000 Germans. Luckily the show was out of this world and a guy crowd surfed in a skip bin. Pretty crazy when you look back on it. We are excited to have you all down in Tasmania. Breath of Life always puts on a good line up. Agree? Hell yes! This is our third time back and we are so stoked. It’s an amazing festival with a great cause and the line up this year is mental! Hopefully we don’t scare too many people away before the party kicks into overdrive later on. If you guys were born ten years later, do you believe your band would have had more of a chance to thrive/exist/pursue a musical career? Eg- Now days there’s accessibility to cheap recordings, the rise of the internet, and the popularity of hardcore/metal music today. No, definitely not. This band has been a freak occurrence of timing, drive and opportunity. There are so many factors which could have changed things in a massive way. Seriously, if any one of the things you listed had changed, this band would be in a completely different place and I doubt it would be nearly as fun or successful as it has been. MARCH ACHESON
See Parkway Drive in Launceston as part of the Breath Of Life Festival on Saturday March 9.
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Music
LOADS OF PROMOS & GIVEAWAYS!
AT THE MUSICAL COALFACE ONE OF OUR BRIGHTEST RISING STARS CHRISTOPHER COLEMAN IS SET TO SHINE IN THE SPIEGELTENT WITH THE WORLD PREMIER OF HIS DEBUT ALBUM CHRISTOPHER COLEMAN COLLECTIVE. THE TEN DAYS ON THE ISLAND SHOW WILL TAKE PLACE ON MARCH 13 AND CHRIS SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE ALBUM AHEAD OF ITS INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH.
St Patrick’s Day festival 2014 TH MARCH SUNDAY 16— TH MARCH & MONDAY 17— After scoring first place in the performance category of the 2013 Telstra Road to Discovery award for his hits ‘Go Home’ and ‘Little Trumpets’, Chris is back on the scene louder than ever. Joined by his best mates and band members Michael Panton, Liam O’Leary, Sam Stansall, and his brother Jonathon, Chris will sing to us the intimate tracks off his new album – ensuring “Tassie hears it first.”
“It was inspiring to keep living as much as to create anything around it. It was a great collaboration to make.” Chris is no stranger to life’s challenges, and has had it tough himself as a sufferer of bipolar disorder. Braving his condition, Chris has turned his emotions into tools of musical expression which can be heard in the “real mix of highs and lows” in his new release.
Although his melodic stories will soon be revealed to us all, Chris is determined not to give anything away just yet for fear of “building it up for anyone or detracting from people when they do listen to it.”
“The album was a very arduous project. Not out of being a perfectionist about it, more just falling in and out of love with the idea of doing a full length album and believing in it and not believing in it. I guess anyone has the doubts about the worth of doing anything.”
“I like to let the music tell those stories. I’m far better at communicating through lyrics than public speaking. I think you just need to listen to it.” The album, which was 25 months in the making, also gave the chance for others to sing through their own experiences as Chris worked closely with the Choir of High Hopes on ‘Go Home’ – the first single and first track on the album. The choir unites those challenged with by poverty, disability, homelessness, and other disadvantages and encourages hope and friendship through song. After seeing the group perform at the Huonville Town Hall, Chris was inspired to include them in his recording and film clip. “It was just a beautiful and uplifting performance that moved me enough to be really inspired to want to do things. I would recommend it for any human to go and watch a show like that. It was individuals telling their stories as well as songs written as a group, just about getting up and getting on with it all.” 14
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Despite his challenges, and despite being the recipient of a national award which will send him to Nashville, and despite having toured around the world (all under the age of 25), Chris is satisfied that this album is the best thing he’s ever done. “I think my biggest achievement is finishing this album. The Telstra program was certainly the biggest amount of exposure I’ve received for anything I’ve ever done, but in terms of personal satisfaction or being proud about it, the album’s first.” STEPHANIE ESLAKE
See the Christopher Coleman Collective play songs from their debut album in the Spiegeltent on Parliament Lawns on March 13 at 7pm. Tickets available from www.tendays.org.au and the album will be available for purchase at the show.
SUNDAY PM WARM UP FOR PADDY'S FROM 12— PM OVER 5 HOURS OF LIVE MUSIC FROM 5— MAGNERS PINTS $9 MONDAY AM ST PATRICK'S DAY FROM 8— PM LIVE MUSIC FROM 5— GUINNESS PINTS $9
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Music
A TO THE O IS AKOUO TASSIE’S HARDEST WORKING PRODUCER? THE TASMANIAN BEATSMITH IS SET TO TAKE OFF, LITERALLY, ON A TOUR THAT ENCOMPASSES A WHOLE SWATH OF AUSTRALIA TO PROMOTE HIS NEW SINGLE, ‘LAST TIME’ COMING OUT ON THE MESA EP IN A MATTER OF MONTHS. I CHATTED WITH HIM ABOUT TOURING, TASMANIA AND WORKING HARD.
‘Basically, I’ve always wanted to tour… I’ve never really been able to find someone I can tour with that wants to knuckle down and not focus on anything else, just their career. For me I’m all about that, that’s what I really want to do.’ Akouo has been working alongside hip-hop artists for a while but pursuing his own music seriously and getting to grips with his own, unique style were driving factors for a move towards a solo project, he tells me. ‘It’s really allowed me to expand on the ideas in my head. When you’re working with rappers you’re very limited to the types of beats that you make because they want something that’s very open and that has plenty of sections where they can be the main person on the track and I wanted to have my own voice in my music.’ The sound Akouo goes for is different, to put it mildly. It sparkles like the sun, but there’s not a naff note in it. ‘I’d just call it electronic music but some people describe it as future bass, but it’s electronic music that’s been infused by hip hop. It’s got many different flavours in it. It’s certainly got emotion but it’s got banging beats and that’s not particular common,’ Akouo tells me. That sound, which is different from much of the music that comes out of the bigger cities in Australia, has a lot to do with the mental space living in Tassie affords, he tells me. The absence of a thriving local dance scene means that is good for originality even if it doesn’t easily translate into a huge fan base. ‘In the big cities a lot of people are making the same type of music, I mean there are a lot of exceptions… but I’ve learnt to find my own inspiration and for me not having other producers to bounce ideas off in Tasmania has been a good thing in making my own style,’ Akouo says. The tour takes in 12 cities and sends him to places as far flung as Western Australia, Hamilton in New Zealand, towns off the beaten track as well as the usual suspects. Akouo has already made a bit of a name for himself overseas with the majority of his listeners heralding from the US but seeing a bit of Australia and connecting with local listeners is a major benefit of a local tour, Akouo tells me, particularly as he has four times as many listeners in the US than he does in Australia. Akouo will play a couple of Tassie shows on the tour, the last one being a show at the Homestead at the end of March. Akouo says punters can expect a raft of electronic and dance music. ‘My good friend DJ Dameza [will be playing]’ says Akouo. ‘Expect to learn new ways of dancing. Expect new kinds of electronic music that’s going to send you on a journey.’ LUCINDA SHANNON
Akouo’s Tasmanian shows include Breath of Life Festival in Launceston on Saturday March 8 and at album launch at the Homestead in Hobart on the Friday March 28 with support from Dameza and guests.
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Music
PINKY AND THE BRAIN A LONG, LONG TIME AGO… PERHAPS 8 YEARS AGO, I WAS FUMBLING AT MY BEST FRIEND’S BRA CLASP AND LISTENING, LIKE A WHOLE CHUNK OF AUSTRALIA, TO MACHINE GUN FELLATIO ON REPEAT. THAT BAND, AND IN PARTICULAR ITS LEADING GENTLEMAN, PINKY BEECROFT, SUNG A WHOLE CONTINGENT OF PEOPLE INTO THE GLITTERED OVERSIZED JUMPSUIT OF POST ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY.
But away from the sexed-up theatrics of MGF, Pinky Beecroft has been busy. Writing for television, performing oneman shows, fronting his band The White Russians, supporting Elvis Costello, failing at things and “tossing up whether to do a Sarah Blasko cover album or maybe just shoot myself in the face.” You know, the usual. Happily for us that list of things also includes a show in Hobart at the Homestead in March. I asked Pinky how the gig came about and he tells me it began as a favour to a man with a piano. Beecroft is coming to Tasmania to play at a mate’s wedding and in return for the loan of a keyboard has agreed to perform a one-off show, alongside singer-songwriter Jacqueline Dwyer. ‘Jacqui is a good friend of mine, she has an unbelievable voice,’ says Beecroft. ‘I said, do you want to play a gig together, she said what happens, what’s the format? I said I dunno, I’ll get up and play a couple of songs and then you can sing a song or I’ll play a song that you know and I know or maybe we’ll work out a song on the fly that neither of us knows… or maybe I’ll just interview you and you can talk about your weird life.’ It’s a typically ad hoc formula, but it’s one that hopefully will give Beecroft scope to talk and play music in a place he’s pretty damn fond of. ‘I like Tasmania’ he says, ‘because it’s the only place people come to watch me play… and, you imagine everybody says this but when I first went to Hobart I thought this is possibly the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen… [it] is staggeringly beautiful to look at. I kinda just love it.’
BOTTLE OF TEA IF YOU CAUGHT HANNAH MAY AT THE CYGNET FOLK FESTIVAL, OR PERHAPS LISTENED TO HER ON VALENTINE’S DAY AT THE VICTORIA TAVERN WITH A CLASS OF WINE AND A LOVED ONE, YOU’D BE AWARE OF THE ROMANCE THE TASSIE SINGER-SONGWRITER CAN STIR WITH HER VOICE. SHE’S BACK TO SHARE MORE LOVE ON APRIL 5 AT TABOR COLLEGE TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HER UPCOMING EP HANNAH MAY – BOTTLE OF TEA. JOINING HER FOR A SOLO SET WILL BE MUSO ANDREW MARSHALL.
Hannah and Andrew, who will also perform a live recording at the Moonah Arts Centre on May 2, met online in 2009 when Andrew was on the hunt for Tassie artists to jam with. “He messaged me through Myspace and asked if he could call me – so we talked, and talked, and talked for about two hours. I realised he was a talented songwriter and that we shared a lot of influences and it went from there,” Hannah explains. While Andrew himself sings, writes, plays guitar, and even pumps out the didgeridoo, Hannah says the pair are a perfect musical match. “The best friendships are built on common interests and sense of humour. We happen to share both!” The two musos have a six year history of writing and playing together on guitar and piano, occasionally cranking some electronic sounds. “Writing with Andrew comes very naturally. It starts off with a conversation, a silly idea, which we suddenly both realize: ‘oh wait that could work!’.”
It’s not every day you have Pinky Beecroft on the line, so I asked him if he had any advice for musicians trying to make it in the Australian music scene. ‘I’m actually looking for advice, myself, I shouldn’t be dispensing it,’ he says in all seriousness. He goes on to talk about the future of radio, the Cool Committee and then he said this pearler: ‘the best shows I’ve ever been to in my life are ones where you could tell the performer was doing it because they had to, and because they wanted to and because… this is what they dig doing, and all bullshit aside that’s where it begins and ends. It’s just wanting to do it…. Can you ask me another question that I can answer that doesn’t make me sound like I’m 105 years old?’ In terms of the future, Beecroft has no firm plans and tells me he suffers from ‘option paralysis’ but music is sure to feature. ‘I’m running out of things to fail at,’ he says, ‘I’ve got to find something that I’m even worse at than everything I’ve done so far and that’s a struggle.’ I say, lies Pinky Beecroft, lies! But this is the man all over really: vulnerable, selfdeprecating and charming as all get-out. The gig at the Homestead will be the perfect opportunity to see it for yourself. LUCINDA SHANNON
So if you’re not invited to the wedding, make sure you make it to The Homestead on Thursday March 20, for an intimate night to see Pinky plus Jacqueline Dwyer. Tickets are highly limited (like 80) and available via Ruffcut and www.moshtix. com.au.
“This is something that has been in the wings for a long time and is finally happening,” Hannah says, excited about official release. The romantic songs for which Hannah is known and loved around Hobart town will fill her EP with smooth and jazz influenced tracks. “‘Bottle of Tea’ is about a close friend finding real love in a second marriage while one of the other tracks, ‘Little Flower’, is about a beautiful couple who were unable to have children and desperately longed for one.” “I am a huge advocate for writing love songs, as cliché as that has become these days.” Sponsored by Little Missy Patisserie and Art of Tea, Hannah will hold the April 5 Tabor College fundraiser concert surrounded by delicious cakes, delicate teas, and the added local talents of Andrew, Jazz Acuña and Helen Crowther. STEPHANIE ESLAKE
“Andrew’s music has a really rough edge to it, which I love and complements my softness. I love how each of our personalities shine through the music, and it’s just so much fun.” Hannah plans to release an excerpt from her live recording with Andrew Marshall as a bonus track on her upcoming EP, which is set to go public by the end of May. She’ll record her other tracks at the Avalon Theatre with producer Tony Sayer, who has worked with The Wolfe Brothers and The Mornings.
Support Hannah May’s new EP Hannah May – Bottle of Tea on April 5, 7.30pm at the Tabor College, Melville Street, Hobart. Tickets available at the door from 7.00pm. Hannah will also perform live (and be recorded) with Andrew on May 2 at the Moonah Arts Centre.
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Music
BRASS ON… BRASS OFF TYLER RICHARDSON AND I AGREE: DON’T GET US STARTED ON A CROWD LADEN WITH TRIBAL TATTOOS, PINGING TO MUSIC THAT’S CONTROLLED AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON. IF YOU’RE STILL NOT FOLLOWING OUR DRIFT, GO WASH OFF THE FAKE TAN AND HAVE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR. FOR THE FRONT MAN OF TASSIE’S MOST HEARTFELT PUNK BAND, LUCA BRASI, IT’S REFRESHING TO KNOW THAT KIDS WANT TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN SOMETHING OTHER THAN NICKI MINAJ.
Is rock still alive? You only have to look at The Smith Street Band and Violent Soho says Tyler. Throw Luca Brasi into the mix and you’ve got what we call ‘anthem bands’. Lyrics bounce passionately from singer to crowd, teen rockers reveal in lines like “empty bottles, full hearts and no regrets” and a big “Hell Fuck Yeah” was screamed when Soho landed at number 13 in Triple J’s Hottest 100. These bands strike a chord with the punters, the crowds who relish the openness, transparency and relatable life experiences that is punk and rock. Tyler agrees. “It’s having the whole thing as an experience, being a part of the crowd as well as being on stage. It’s a proper experience for everyone together and it’s not playing behind a barrier on a stage. It’s not just our band but especially all punk bands that think it should be done like that. More so we are still so stoked that people care, it’s just exciting.” The word exciting might be an understatement for the four piece, melodic, hard-hitting, froff rockers. Luca Brasi’s second album, By A Thread lands on March 14 and there’s a lot to live up to. Their 18
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previous release, Extended Family, took the band on a whirlwind ride of Australia’s music industry. The nation sunk its teeth into the record, Short Fast Loud’s Stu Harvey took notice, and eventually Triple J caught on. Soon came a spot at Tassie’s Falls Festival and east coast Australian tours with Title Fight and BodyJar. Tyler remains humble despite the band’s big milestones. “It comes back to the honesty. We’ve tried to be the most open band possible and make everything as organic as possible. To see bands especially guys we are close to like The Smith Street Band do so well and do this thing literally as their lives, it’s so exciting to know that someone is doing it like that, it’s crazy.” The year 2013 greeted itself with a new line up for Luca Brasi. With two new members on board Tyler wants everyone to give their new album a few listens to know exactly how much hard work has been put in. “I think especially when Pat came into the band he brought his own style of song writing which carried over into what Tom and I had been doing before. He’s a very talented dude and has a really good sense for the melodies and song structure which really helps because Tom has his insane guitar lines and Pat really has a way of being able to weave things back together. To me our previous stuff seems really kind of like verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus; the typical kind of song structure. Whereas with the new album it might take a few more listens to work out what is going on but hopefully people will give it that time to realise there is a lot more going on and a lot more well thought out structure in the songs.” Luca Brasi formed in 2009, playing in more living rooms and kitchens than one could
care to imagine. Their connection with the youth of Tasmania was instantaneous. It was a revelation for how punk music was, and now is perceived in our island state. For Tyler, to get from an idea to reality has left Tasmania’s punk heroes scratching their heads. The band now embarks on a national tour. “It’s so exciting just to know that you’re doing exactly what you’ve always wanted to do. We set about playing acoustic guitars, me and Tom, and we thought we will write these songs, get a band together and we will go and record an album or two. The fact that people come to shows and buy stuff is just still completely mind blowing; it’s the most humbling feeling in the world. It never occurred to us that anyone would care at all.” MARK ACHESON
Luca Brasi By a Thread is out March 14 on Poison City Records. The guys will be playing Launceston’s Breath of Life Festival on Saturday March 8, before heading on a national album tour including The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart on Friday April 11, a secret all-ages Hobart show during the day on the Saturday April 12 and then back to Launceston that night to play The Royal Oak Hotel.
Music
JAZZED UP IF THERE’S ONE GENRE THAT HAS REMAINED TIMELESSLY COOL SINCE IT BEGAN, IT’S GOTTA BE JAZZ. PIANIST AND COMPOSER TOM VINCENT KNOWS THIS MORE THAN ANYONE, AND THE JAZZ MAN WILL BRING HIS SWING TO THE HENRY JONES ON MARCH 7 AND 14. JOINING HIM ON THE JAZZ CLUB STAGE WILL BE ARIA WINNING DOUBLE BASSIST NICK HAYWOOD AND MADLY SKILLED DRUMMER ALF JACKSON.
Tom Vincent had initially played gigs at the Baha’i Centre for audiences of up to 300 people, but feels the more intimate vibe of the Henry Jones Studio Lounge allows for a better atmosphere. With theatre style seating, tables, and couches up the back, you’re free to have a chat and grab a drink from the bar while enjoying your favourite jazz tune. “We’ve got hundreds of songs to choose from. I keep changing the way I perform, too. Sometimes we have requests and if I know the song invariably I’ll play it.” Having doubled his audience in the first two weeks, Tom’s definitely doing something right – and it’s more than just sweet talk. “You’re sharing this form of communication that is beyond words. You can say that ‘music is like this or that’, and you can attach words to it, but a lot of these songs don’t have words and they’re abstract things. While you’re sharing these ideas, you can even produce these emotions that you don’t normally have. It all comes back to the emotions. You have to be playing from the emotions from your heart. Otherwise, forget it – it’s nothing.” While Tom is in love with jazz from the ‘50s and ‘60s and idolises the greats such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, he still enjoys the process of sharing his passion with his trio and the guests who jam with him on stage. “It’s got to be intensely personal, but at the same time you can’t be in your own little bubble. You communicate with the drum and the bass player and you have eye contact and you do something and they respond.” Tom has so far shared the stage with guests from Melbourne and Sydney and
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hopes for future seasons to bring in more national and international artists. Although his own musical career has sent him around Australia and the world, the pro still knows the value of a good practice session to keep up his skills. “I still practice stuff- you’ve got to practice two or three hours every day just to remain at the level you’re at, then you have to practice four or five hours a day if you want to improve.” His hard work certainly pays off, and he’s recently been commissioned by Arts Tasmania to write a new work for a Hobart big band he’s putting together. “When I’m writing, I don’t just write what I know. I really get into it and I want to write something new because that’s interesting for me. There are only 12 notes, but there are so many combinations.” Tom writes and performs jazz in a time when recorded music is highly accessible and able to be downloaded from home. But he’s optimistic that this may make the experience of seeing jazz live even more special. “Jazz is based on improvisation. It’s based on being in the moment and it’s got a real fresh thing about it. It’s very much part of the audience. With jazz, you can feel the room and when you play, the people there affect you.” STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Tom Vincent will perform with his trio at the Pop-up Bebop Jazz Club in the Henry Jones Studio Lounge on March 7 and March 14. Tickets are available at www.tomvincent.com.au.
TEN QUESTIONS:
WILL NEWBERRY WARP ASKS TEN INTERROGATING QUESTIONS WITH TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA VIOLA PLAYER WILL NEWBERRY.
What’s your earliest musical memory? Listening to LPs with my family. When and why did you first start playing viola? I was nine years old. It was offered at my primary school and it seemed a good way to get out of class. What’s the strangest experience you’ve had on tour? Being ordered to leave South Korea because the tour was illegal.
TOWNSEND ON TOWNSEND IN SONGWRITING, THE MOST HIGHLY PRIZED QUALITY IS HONESTY. I DON’T IDEA WHY. HONESTY BETWEEN FRIENDS AND LOVERS IS BEAUTIFUL, SOMETIMES PAINFUL, BUT HONESTY FROM A STRANGER CAN BE DOWNRIGHT STIFLING.
Ever been on the wrong end of a toomuch-information moment? Ever been cornered by a loud and drunken punter intent on telling you their life story? Ever been bored in a bar by a brow-furrowed singer-songwriter, their heartache filling the air like methane? Honesty is overrated. When it comes to songwriting, I like stories. I like songs about mysteries and twisted tales. I like songs with half-truths and a whole heap of weird stuff which somebody, somewhere either dreamed up or dug up and sang into a microphone. Give me Paul Kelly’s 'Everything’s Turning to White’, a tale of a few holidaying fishermen who discover a murder victim but don’t report it until the end of their trip. Give me Bob Dylan’s 'Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of Hearts’, which is a story with enough depth to be a feature film. Give me Tracy Chapman’s 'Fast Car’. That’s a novel right there. I want to hear Eminem’s 'Stan’ and Springsteen’s 'The River’, Don McLean’s 'American Pie’ and Bowie’s 'Space Oddity’. What about 'Stairway to Heaven’, 'Hotel California’ and 'Khe Sanh’? What of Nina Simone’s 'Four Women’ or Harry Chapin’s 'Cats in the Cradle’? Give me anything on Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads. Fiction, the lot of it, and without a sleevedwelling heart in sight. It’s a whole bunch
of beautifully made-up stuff which, as so often happens, reveal a whole lot of truths. Why do I feel the need to ask if the chilling events in Paul Kelly’s song are based on reality? The very fact that I can believe the story says a lot about me. And us. Fiction. Fantasy. Lies. They’re all synonyms in my thesaurus, although my local library doesn’t yet have a dedicated Lies Section. Story songs don’t even have to be sung well. Story music has a long history of terrible songsters pre-dating even Woody Guthrie because these flat-noted fabulists were usually ordinary people, each one going about their lives singing the songs the way they had heard them sung. You don’t need to be honest to tell the truth. You can sing stories using bastardised lyrics from the oldest song in the English language. You can sing stories about a fallen woman based on an 8th century Greek hymn. You can sing stories from the perspective of an ancient tree who remembers hearing the secrets of two mothers who sat beneath his shade. You can sing stories. You must sing stories. It keeps us honest. Daniel J. Townsend’s new album, Iscariot is a collection of stories circling the life of Judas, the infamous twelfth apostle. DANIEL TOWNSEND
Most challenging piece you’ve played? Synapse – a five minute concerto for viola and computer. Who are your inspirations? The pre –Juilliard great string players. Favourite bands? Not so much. What’s your practice routine? A bit of technique then as long as I can maintain interest and focus. With breaks. What do you get up to when you’re not making music? Bit of gardening, bit of bird watching, bit of travel. If you could perform anywhere in the world, with any orchestra or ensemble, what would be your dream performance? Schubert Cello Quintet with the Takacs Quartet. What do you love about your instrument? Pretty much everything. STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Album Launch Shows: Wed April 9 - Pilgrim Uniting Church, Paterson St Launceston Fri April 11 - Devonport House Concert Sun April 13 - The Homestead Tasmania, Elizabeth St Hobart
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra will play Rachmaninov and Brahms in the Federation Concert Hall on March 7 at 7.30pm and Launceston’s Albert Hall on March 8 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available at www.tso.com.au. Check out the TSO’s Live it Up Live offer for students to attend up to 30 incredible concerts for a low one off payment of $35.
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Music
CALLING ALL CARS : RAISE THE PEOPLE
BRIAN WROTEN: TASMAN
MELBOURNE TRIO ROCKERS CALLING ALL CARS ARE MAKING A PLEDGE WITH THEIR THIRD RELEASE THAT IS - TO ROCK YOUR F@#KING MIND! FIRING OFF WITH ALBUM TITLE TRACK “RAISE THE PEOPLE” HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS TO DRAW YOU FURTHER IN TO HEARING MORE. First single release “Werewolves” with an accompanying film clip, displays an array of sensual imagery and listening groove pleasure – Muse influenced in sound perhaps? Song “Standing in the Ocean” the second and latest single with an accompanying video depicts youth being carefree and not worrying about the consequences of rivalry getting in the way. Fans have no doubt heard the new songs and may have come to a crossroad with the new material or completely departed from the band. The trio display a slight punk edge to their rock delivery in previous recordings. This new release is in no way seeing the band step over to ballad territory or going light. Infact it’s picked up the ante and is full of punch to the throat solid rock! The band has been fortunate to tour with some illustrious names such as the Foo Fighters and AC/DC; this experience is shown though R.T.P. I personally can’t wait to hear it blasted loud and live on their upcoming tour, which will include Hobart. David Walker
BRIAN WROTEN’S TASMAN BOASTS ALL THE CONFIDENCE AND PASSION OF A 21ST CENTURY COMPOSER WITH A MILLENNIUM’S WORTH OF STYLES AT HIS FEET. BRIAN’S INSTRUMENTATION IS AS INTELLIGENT AS IT IS PLAYFUL, AND THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM HE EFFECTIVELY WEAVES TOGETHER THE CONTRASTING TEXTURES OF SAXOPHONE, FLUTE, STRINGS, VOICE, AND DRUMS. ‘Jinha’ opens with a funky bass line which is initially meditative in its repetition but soon builds to an anxious climax. The ten minute track ends as peacefully as it began, and expresses an abundance of differing and seamlessly connected moods. ‘Aurelia’ exhibits a sound far more abstract, but as the second track on the album, our ears are warmed up to accept its less conventional composition. Both surreal and serene, ‘Aurelia’ gives the impression of a pool of water matching perfectly with the album art. While ‘Tas’ begins with a near jungle beat, ‘Sea’ sounds a heavy and dark unison of multiple instruments over flurried drums. By far the eeriest and most atmospheric track is ‘Swan’. Wordless whispers morph into an unnatural wave of white noise while a strong male vocal howls a ghostly Eastern melody. The other-worldly atmosphere is juxtaposed with the guitar’s repetitive and disturbingly major sounding melody. Tasman is a contemporary masterpiece by a writer not afraid to push the limits of conventional composition. Do not attempt to drive or operate heavy machinery while under Brian’s influence. STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Pinky Beecroft & Jacqueline Dwyer
Thur, March 20 9PM START $15 plus b/f from moshtix.com.au or Ruffcut 22
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Music
BEN SALTER ALL ROUND ACTION HERO BEN SALTER COMES BACK TO TASMANIA IN EARLY APRIL FOR TWO SOLO PERFORMANCES. A FOUNDERING MEMBER OF THE GIANTS OF SCIENCE, THE GIN CLUB AND THE WILSON PICKERS, BEN’S SOLO WORK HAS INCLUDED THE CAT IN 2012, AN EP EUROPEAN VACATION LAST YEAR AND A NEW ALBUM DESTINED TO COME OUT THIS YEAR. A performer of some fifteen years experience, Ben has collaborated with the likes of Tim Rogers, Mick Thomas, Bernard Fanning and Gareth Liddiard, earning himself a host of awards including two ARIA nominations and spots on most major festivals in Australia. The Homestead performance will be part of a double bill with Brisbane’s shoegaze quartet Roku Music, who are embarking on their national Collider tour, which includes their first Hobart appearance
See Ben Salter perform at: • Saturday April 5 from 1pm – The Void, MONA • Saturday April 5 from 9.30pm – The Homestead
ANGE BOXALL AFTER A RUN OF SHOWS IN THE STATE IN LATE NOVEMBER, ANGE IS BACK FOR A WEEKEND OF DATES THIS MONTH. THE EX-TASMANIAN WHO HAS SPENT MUCH OF HER LIFE PLAYING THROUGH EUROPE AND THE U.S. SPREADING HER VERSION OF FOLK-COUNTRY IS SET TO RELEASE HER NEW ALBUM LATER THIS YEAR. Inspiration for her latest songs have come from being on the road, her longing to return home, the wind and sea and small fishing towns. The album has taken shape in the country mecca of Nashville with the combined talents of Bones Hillman on bass (Midnight Oil), John Jackson on guitar (Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams), Paul Griffith on drums (Sheryl Crow, KD Lang) and Bill Chambers (Kasey Chambers) on slide guitar.
See Ange Boxall at: • Saturday March 15 from 3pm - Mona Market • Saturday March 15 from 9pm - The Homestead • Sunday March 16 from 9am - GASP! to MONA fun run and walk
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MARCH 8&9 2014
L O N E S TA R VA L L E Y • G O L C O N D A • TA S M A N I A
S AT U R D AY
S U N D AY
MAIN STAGE
MAIN STAGE 11:45am
5:30pm
12:00pm
KARL S. WILLIAMS 1:00pm
TOM COONEY
TIMOTHY & WILDERNESS
THE BABE RAINBOW
TIGER CHOIR
1:00pm
8:00pm
HOLY HOLY
HUSKY
4:00pm
9:30pm
TWERPS
2:15pm
9:30pm
SPENDER
7:00pm
McKISKO
BIG SCARY
4:00pm
SUPER WILD HORSES
6:50pm
AINSLIE WILLS
2:00pm
5:30pm
8:30pm
THE CHARLES BRADLEY FROWNING CLOUDS
SASKWATCH
THE BEDOUIN CLUB
THE BEDOUIN CLUB
11:00pm
11:00pm
TIGERLIL’S TOURING CIRCUS OF EXTRAORDINARY ACTS
TIGERLIL’S TOURING CIRCUS OF EXTRAORDINARY ACTS
12:30am
12:30am
THE FROWNING CLOUDS
THE BABE RAINBOW
1:00am
1:00am
VINYL SOUL CLUB WITH DJ BLACK AMEX
VINYL SOUL CLUB WITH DJ SOUL TRAIN
plus WO R L D CL A S S C A BA R E T, D E L I C I O U S C A F E S, G R E AT BA R S & VINTAGE MARKETS & CLOTHES SWAPS full details and ticket sales at
PA N A M A F E S T I VA L . C O M . A U p r e s e n t e d by
Drink
THE MAKING OF MEAD MEAD IS TOLD TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN HUMAN HISTORY. IT WAS ENJOYED BY THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS AS THE NECTAR OF THE GODS, DESCRIBED IN THE EARLY WRITINGS OF HINDUISM AND HAS PLAYED A PART IN THE LITERATURE OF ARISTOTLE AND J.R.R. TOLKIEN. A WINE MADE FROM HONEY, NATURE’S FOOD THAT DOESN’T SPOIL, MEAD HAS SURVIVED THE AGES.
While not accompanied by the rush of popularity such as enjoyed by the local cider and craft beer markets, a few skilled enthusiasts have been producing their own delicious versions of the bacchanalian drink from Tasmania’s plentiful and diverse honey reserves. Two such passionate producers in the south of the State are Hartzview Vineyard and MountainView Meadery. Both gave us an account of their respective meaderies. Hartzview Vineyard At Hartzview Vineyeard on the Huon Trail, Anthea and Rob Patterson have been making fortified wines for around 20 years and now produce a lovely spiced apple liqueur mead. Anthea says that, “Very few people were making mead, and basically what made me start thinking about it was the fact that Tasmania is very well known for honey and apple, so it just seemed natural to produce mead.” The combination of flavours was a nobrainer. Anthea says, “We make a honey and apple mead, and the reason we make those two things is that it’s very Tasmanian. The apple balances the honey really nicely so it ends up like a sweet dessert wine but it’s not excessively sweet. A lot of mead is really sweet, so the apple balances it nicely and increases the complexity of flavours.” Anthea and Rob also add cinnamon and cloves for more of a subtle complex flavour. They use Clover honey exclusively for their product as Leatherwood honey is too strong a flavour for their particular brand of mead. The process of making mead at Hartzview is simple and organic. As Anthea explains, “We fortify the mead so we don’t use any preservatives, but it is 18 per cent alcohol. The alcohol stabilizes it so that it doesn’t go off.”
The apple and the honey are fermented together naturally. “Then what we do is we age it, [for at least 12 months] and we add a little bit of cinnamon and cloves, then we fortify it to 18 per cent. It’s very simple and very natural.” Hartzview’s Apple Liqueur Mead is made specifically as a dessert wine, and is best enjoyed with cheese platters or desserts. While mead isn’t available at your local just yet, there is a growing market for the beverage. Anthea says, “There are a lot of enthusiasts, a lot of people like mead and it’s definitely very popular.” You can find more information on Hartzview Vineyard at www.hartzview.com.au. MountainView Meadery Peter Green at MountainView Meadery has been making mead since the late 90s. While told it was a highly difficult product to make successfully, Peter was not deterred, and now produces a range of awardwinning meads. Peter says, “The journey of how I became involved with making mead commercially began after making fruit wine, beer, cider and liqueurs as an enthusiast over a thirtyyear period. A little over 12 years ago I set myself the challenge of making mead.” MountainView Meadery produces six meads made from different Tasmanian honeys. “They are traditional meads or hydromels. Each mead is different due to the type of honey used to produce it. Leatherwood has a strong flavour whereas our Prickly Box is more delicate. Our method preserves the honey’s aroma and flavour. They exhibit an excellent mouth feel with a delicious lingering aftertaste.”
the traditional method. “The simplest way to make mead,” he says, “is to ferment honey and water together using yeast. To help the yeast with doing that some yeast nutrients are used. Sticking to this simple process has paid off. MountainView Meadery is one of only a handful of meaderies worldwide that have been added the Elite meadmaker list on the Traditional Mead website.” The honey for Peter’s mead is selected each year depending on weather patterns and variations in flavour. He says, “What can happen too, due to weather patterns, is that the strength of the particular honey can also vary.” “These differences give rise to variations in the meads as well. The major issue with the meads MountainView Meadery produce is that they can take up to two years for a mead to be mature enough in the opinion of the meadmaker to be suitable for sale.” The different types of mead in the modern market are more varied than you may think. Peter explains, “Not many people know all the names given to different types of meads. For example, Melomels are meads made from honey and fruit; metheglin is mead flavoured with herbs and spices, a pyment is mead flavoured with grapes or grape juice.” You can find more information of MountainView Meadery at www.tasmeads. com.au. ERIN LAWLER
Modern mead making techniques vary greatly, and while there is a range of MountainView meads, Peter does stick to www.facebook.com/warp.mag 25
Arts ANDREW ON ART:
ON CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS THE FIRST TIME I WAS EVER REALLY AWARE THAT ARTISTS MAY BE ASKED TO, IN SOME WAY, COMPROMISE THEMSELVES BY TAKING PART IN AN EXHIBITION OR FESTIVAL CAME A DECADE AGO WHEN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE PULLED OUT OF THE TEN DAYS ON THE ISLAND FESTIVAL DUE TO INVOLVEMENT FROM FORESTRY TASMANIA.
It seemed cut and dried to me then that if you did not agree with an organisation’s practices and ties, you shouldn’t work with them. It’s still something I think, but the situation in 2014 is more complex. The Biennale of Sydney, one of the most important arts events in Australia, is in part sponsored by Transfield. Transfield are interesting. One arm of a complex organisation actually established the Biennale in 1973, and indeed, a member of the organisations sit upon the Biennale of Sydney’s board. The thing is, another arm of Transfield is now involved with delivering services in Naura and on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Transfield won a contract from the Australian government to take over the management of garrison and welfare services in the detention centres located in these places, meaning they now manage detainees’ housing, security, transport, catering, cleaning, psychological and medical support. It’s my understanding that psychological support is particularly poor, resulting in widespread self-harm and some suicides. I can understand how artists involved with the Biennale of Sydney 2014 may feel about their involvement, given this information. It’s not new information – artist Van Thanh Rudd pointed out the connections and issues on 2012 – but this time, things have blown up a lot more, a number of participating artists have taken action and sent a public letter, there’s been responses and comment from the Biennale and the story is still unfolding. I’m not a participating artist and I can’t tell anyone else what to do, but this series of events and exchanges demonstrate how we are all
involved with the bipartisan government policy of mandatory detention, whether we like it or not, and how we all need to take action wherever and however we feel we can. What’s important here? Well, pretty obviously, mandatory detention of asylum seekers is wrong. It needs to end. So to does the secrecy around the facts of what is occurring with regards to asylum seekers, and it seems to me that part of the cloak of silence policy is privatisation. The practice of tendering out something like detention – turning effectively into a business, is morally nebulous at the very least and adds to the complexity of the situation. Sponsorship, privatisation and the seemingly inevitable erosion of government funding are things every artist in Australia is going to get to grips with if they want to have careers in the arts. I can’t tell anyone how to run their career or live their life. But if art means anything at all, and has any cultural significance beyond making pretty things for rich people to stare at, it is about questioning cultural and government practice and giving voice to the voiceless. Art is not going to change a bipartisan policy of mandatory detention. But it can make everyone in Australia look hard at what we have all become. ANDREW HARPER
DR SKETCHY’S ANTI ART SCHOOL:
DRAWING UP A STORM IN LAUNCESTON ARE YOU SICK OF DRAWING BORING OLD RECLINING NUDES DAY IN AND DAY OUT? WELL, PERHAPS DR SKETCHY’S ANTI-ART SCHOOL IS JUST THE TONIC. FEATURING DRESS-UPS, DRINKS AND DRAWING, DR SKETCHY’S IS BRINGING ITS BRAND OF ART-BASED FUN TO LAUNCESTON. The organiser of the Launceston chapter, Ruby DeWinter told WARP a little more about the enterprise: “Dr Sketchy’s started in New York in 2008 and has grown to cover more than 100 cities all over the world, now including Tasmania. It’s an art class with flair! Sexy burlesque and cabaret performers posing on stage in a club (in this case, the Lazy Butterfly) with drinks, loud crazy music, an MC (not a teacher!), good friends and drawing. It doesn’t matter if you can draw like a pro or if you’ve never done it before, Dr Sketchy’s is all about having some cheeky fun with art.” Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Get on down to the Lazy Butterfly on Thursday March 20 to see model, Le Fay in action or head over to the Dr Sketchy’s Launceston Facebook page for more information: www.facebook.com/ drsketchylaunceston
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Arts
TOM BALLARD COMDEY:
THE CLUBHOUSE and FRESH PRESENTS TOM BALLARD TOM BALLARD! YES, THAT GUY, THE BLOKE WHO JUST WOUND UP HIS THREE YEAR STINT DOING BREAKFAST ON TRIPLE J. TOM WANTED TO FOCUS ON HIS FIRST LOVE, STAND UP AND HE’S GOT A WHOLE NEW SHOW FOR 2014 AND IT’S COMING HERE.
It’s going to crank because that is what Tom Ballard does. He’s beltingly funny and needs to be seen; if you thought he was good on radio, you have no idea of the awesome full effect of the live Ballard experience. He’s bold and brave and does it like no other. Be warned though – seating is limited, buy your ticket in advance, as both venues have been selling out recent shows. Tom Ballard is going to be packed, so get organised and don’t miss this one! HOBART The Clubhouse, with Tom Ballard supported by James Barwick and guests and hosted by Tracey Cosgrove. At The Waratah Hotel on Thursday March 20, doors at 8pm. Entry is $15 on the door or presales available at the venue. LAUNCESTON Fresh Comedy, with Tom Ballard supported by James Barwick and guests and hosted by Stewart Bell. At Fresh on Charles on Friday March 21, doors at 7.45pm. Tickets are available from the venue for $15 for general admission or $20 for reserved seating. ANDREW HARPER
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Film
Photo credit: Shaun Wilson)
FILM ROUND-UP IT’S A WHILE SINCE I’VE DONE ONE OF THESE TASMANIAN FILM ROUNDUPS SO THERE’S PLENTY TO CATCH UP ON. ALREADY 2014 IS SHAPING UP AS A WATERSHED YEAR FOR THE LOCAL INDUSTRY.
One such announcement is that of an eightpart drama series produced by Porchlight for Foxtel and BBC Worldwide which will be shooting in the state this year. The Kettering Incident is the brainchild of screenwriter Victoria Madden, a Tasmanian who’s spent years working outside the state on show’s like The Bill, Lynda LaPlante’s Crime and Retribution and Halifax FP (a personal favourite of mine, how about a reboot, Channel Nine?) but returned here in 2010 to live and work. She’s long had the aim of getting a local drama series off the ground to provide much-need opportunities for local writers, cast and crew, and, not surprisingly, Screen Tasmania has shared in that goal. The two have joined forces, and, with the likes of Porchlight’s Vincent Sheehan behind the notion, have managed to get the ambitious enterprise up and running. No wonder Premier Lara Giddings looked so cheerful at the recent media launch, posing for photos with Screen Tasmania’s Karena Slaninka and Vicki, it’s a coup. January saw the launch of this year’s Raw Nerve films. These are short films made by emerging filmmakers via a Wide Angle Tasmania/Screen Australia initiative that provides selected applicants with mentoring, equipment and a modest budget to bring their vision to the screen. As in past years, the most notable aspect of the Raw Nerve output this year is the diversity and idiosyncrasy of subject matter. The 2014 films were comedy Blue Shirt Green Tie directed by Darren Swanson, Hormones: The Musical directed by Meg Bignell, and short doco Confessions of a Dateholic directed by Rob Harrison. Anyone who’s interested in applying for Raw Nerve this year should get onto the Wide Angle Tasmania website and see what it’s all about. Applications close on June 7.
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In other news, the Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival will be back in August 2014 (disclosure: I’m the festival director). There are various sensible reasons for this move to winter, plus it gives the hardworking festival team a little bit longer to pull the ambitious program of screenings, workshops and talks together (not to mention the all-important party planning aspect). The Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival will also return this year, again in Launceston from 6 to 9 November, so mark that one into your diary as well. It’s a good excuse for Hobartians to head up north for a little road trip and, like Stranger With My Face, is the sort of festival where you can actually hang out and talk to the filmmakers and special guests, so it’s worth making the effort if you’re interested in a getting into the industry or if you’re a keen film groupie. Speaking of Stranger With My Face, we just had a screening of some of our 48-Hour Challenge films from last year’s festival, in Melbourne for a Women in Horror month event. It really is fun touring these films around because audiences just love them. If you’re thinking of entering this year, keep an eye out for guidelines coming soon. (I was also in Melbourne recently to host a Q&A after the DVD launch screening of Donna McRae’s indie gem, Johnny Ghost. Donna’s a bit of an honorary Tasmanian filmmaker, so check it out if you haven’t already. It’s a feature film starring Anni Finisterer and with a soundtrack by the prolific Dave Graney and Clare Moore and is being distributed via Titan View.) The locally produced web series Noirhouse continues to collect kudos, with recent nominations in the Indie Series Awards and the Rome Web Awards, ahead of the
team’s upcoming production of another six episodes. Meanwhile, Isabelle Allen has made a short called Harry Tadpole up north, with locations including a primary school, a jetty in Orford and Mt Field National Park. The 11-day shoot sounds like it was lots of fun. And the hardworking duo of Cathy Allen and Aaron Wilson has announced another short film project, Nameless, so get in touch with them if you think you might want to audition or help out with that. Their first film, Stewart (you know, the one about the lovable shopping trolley) will be screening in WAT’s Tassie Film Showcase on 14 March, along with other local gems. Finally, I’m chuffed to hear that Trasharama is again making it’s way south, screening at the Brisbane in Hobart on 27 March. Trasharama is a bit of a institution by now, if you can use that word for something so disreputable and counterculture-ish, guaranteeing you a fix of cult, genre and sick and twisted entertainment (all of which tend to be still quite scarce in Hobart) . Dick Dale tells me, “This year we’ll be screening a very depraved and hilarious movie called a A Little R ‘N’ R by local Tasmaniacs, Alex Machin and Frank Daft, two regular contributors and previous winners”. I’m there. BRIONY KIDD
Arts
ART IN PUBS IF YOU’RE A YOUNGER ARTIST LOOKING FOR A CHEAP PLACE TO EXHIBIT, HOBART’S PUB-BASED GALLERIES CAN BE A GOOD OPTION TO GET YOUR WORK SEEN. WHEN I DID THE ROUNDS IN FEBRUARY, IT WAS DISAPPOINTING TO SEE MANY OF THESE SPACES UNDERUTILISED.
Round Room Gallery - The Homestead
The Stable Gallery - Cooley’s Hotel
Nook and Cranny Gallery - The Brisbane Hotel
Phoenix Gallery - The Republic Bar and Café
The Round Room Gallery is Hobart’s newest pub gallery, located in The Homestead. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a recent and welcome addition to Hobart’s pub scene, replacing the old Sir William Don Hotel on Elizabeth Street.
Situated behind Cooley’s Hotel in Moonah, The Stable Gallery began life as a tack shed for the local racing fraternity. Today, it’s a beautifully renovated little space dedicated to supporting the work of emerging artists. The gallery stands alone and features three medium-sized white walls and large glass doors fronting onto Cooley’s outside dining area.
Most readers will be familiar with Art at the Brisbane Hotel. The gallery space is located in the front bar, with a variety of walls both large and small available. Its open to any career stage and all styles twodimensional, with exhibitions held monthly.
The Phoenix Gallery at the Republic advertises itself as “promoting both established and emerging contemporary Tasmanian artists”. It’s located in the quieter dining area, and offers three medium-sized white walls. These are faintly embossed with a geometric pattern. Positives: The Republic has a more mature clientele with the means to purchase art. It’s also run a gallery space for many years (under several names and curators), so patrons expect to see work on the walls.
The Gallery’s name is descriptive. The space is roundish, with three main walls measuring approximately five, three and two metres. It’s also to the side of the eating and drinking space, encouraging attentive viewing and discouraging bumps. The gallery caters to all career stages and solo, group and curated shows are welcome. The exhibition calendar is monthly. Positives: Fees are being waived for the first few months while the gallery gets established. The owners are friendly and enthusiastic and there is no commission. Potential negatives: The walls are tangerine, which may be an unwelcome addition to some palettes. Location: 304 Elizabeth St North Hobart
Positives: It’s a charming and professional looking space with no commission. Potential negatives: The Stable Gallery is not the cheapest of pub galleries, with a $275 fee. However, this includes print costs for one hundred invitations, two food platters, and discounted wine and beer on opening night. It’s also a bit further away from the main gallery drag, although the Moonah Arts Centre is just around the corner.
Positives: The Brisbane has no gallery fees and staff with technical know-how if you need help. Potential negatives: It can get rowdy. Location: 3 Brisbane Street Hobart Contact: artbrisbanehotel@gmail.com
Potential negatives: The curator didn’t get back to me with more information. Location: 299 Elizabeth Street North Hobart Contact: robinmarycalvert@gmail.com
Location: 45 Main Road Moonah
BRIDGET HICKEY
Contact: stablegallery@kalisgroup.com.au
Contact: roundroomgallery@gmail.com
EMERGING SPACES FOR EMERGING ARTISTS IT’S ALMOST CLICHÉ TO NOTE THESE DAYS THAT HOBART HAS EXPLODED WITH ARTISTIC ACTIVITY. THERE’S MONA, MOFO AND DARK MOFO, A REJUVENATED TMAG, AND A RE-NAMED CONTEMPORARY ART TASMANIA (FORMERLY CAST), ALL PUTTING ON DIVERSE AND HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS. AMONGST THESE BIG EVENTS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON SMALLER GOINGS ON. THIS MONTH, TWO NEW ARTIST-RUN SPACES ARE BUILDING MOMENTUM. The Arts Factory is an ambitious Artist Run Initiative (ARI) organised by students from the Tasmanian School of Art. You may have heard of the project in its earlier stages, when it was a proposed gallery and café to be located near the waterfront. The group ran a successful crowd-funding campaign that received publicity last September. Since then, the project has moved to South Hobart and extended its focus to cater for the needs of emerging artists more broadly, with plans in place for studio facilities, regular exhibitions, live performances and artist residencies. The group are currently negotiating to lease a large warehouse on 462 Macquarie Street. The space will include 15 permanent studios and 5 flexible spaces, catering for painting, drawing, sculpture, jewellery and potentially ceramics.
Unfortunately, size restrictions means that they’re unable to cater for furniture designers and other large-scale production work, however artists working in these mediums will still be able to utilise the exhibition space. By the time this article goes to press, construction should be underway and there are still studio spaces available. Contact theartsfactoryhobart@ gmail.com. On a smaller scale, the Rainbow Anarchy Art Space comprises of a single room on the third floor of 141-143 Elizabeth Street. What it lacks in size, it makes up in heart. The organisers are hoping to present a regular calendar of exhibitions, workshops and crafternoons in addition to providing some small studio spaces. When I visited in mid February, the space’s second exhibition was on display: a delicate series of pencil drawings, the first solo show by emerging Launceston artist Dulcie Steven. The next project planned is an affordable art show, with all work for sale under $100. If you’re interested in getting involved, the organisers would love your input. The space has lots of character, light and views, and there are several other individual artist studios on the same floor adding to the sense of community. Email rainbowanarchyartspace@gmail.com or find the page on Facebook. BRIDGET HICKEY www.facebook.com/warp.mag 29
Arts SCULPTURE:
BENCHMARKING BIRCHS BAY SCULPTURE TRAIL AND EXHIBITION THERE’S A BUSTLE DOWN ON THE FARM THIS WEEK, TIDYING UP AFTER THE BIG STORM THAT SHOOK THE TREES AND BLEW THROUGH THE PATHWAYS OF THE BENCHMARKING BIRCHS BAY SCULPTURE TRAIL. THE WINDS OF CHANGE MAYBE, HERALDING IN THIS YEAR’S LATEST SCULPTURE EXHIBITION WHICH KICKS OFF ON GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18 AND FINISHES UP ON SATURDAY JULY 13. Five Bob Farm has hosted the Benchmarking Birchs Bay Sculpture Prize for almost a decade – nurturing the skills of local artists and designers and providing a great outdoor gallery for their work. Sculptures are admired, criticised, compared, (and maybe bought) by the thousands of visitors who make the annual day trip to enjoy an easy outdoor walk in the bush and brush up on their art appreciation. This year is no different: 21 artists have entered over 25 sculptures and installations on subjects dear to their hearts. So how to present them so as to surprise and intrigue the viewer… nestled objects in grasses, have the weird and surreal rearing up out of the bush or gallivanting across the farm’s fields? We’ll see. There are loads of great incentives for the artists (drawn from across the state and even across the ditch) – attracted by the challenge of creating site-specific works, presenting them to thousands of visitors and hopefully for many, to sell their work – all sculptures are for sale (and many do).
Image credit: Simon Pankhurst, “A Seat Somewhere…”
permanently housed in Kingston’s wetland park), and Five Bob’s own acquisition which then shares the trail with a growing collection of permanent pieces procured in the last nine years. We have a calendar of other activities during the sculpture trail and exhibition: artist talks; guided twilight walks; our second on-line Photographic Phantasmagoria competition (visitors’ photographic interpretations of pieces, printed by Noble Ink, displayed on the sculpture trail, then exhibited at Kingston Beach Art Gallery) and the culminating event - Trip the Light Fantastic, story telling and lanterns around a midwinter bonfire. Better come and have a look! Bring your friends if you have some, even the dog (on-lead). Ring ahead and book a table at Fleurtys Café, grab a picnic or bring your own. WENDY EDWARDS
Then there’s the prizes which include the Kingborough Council’s Mayor Award, the KCC Acquisitive Award, (which is then
Benchmarking Birchs Bay sculpture trail and exhibition runs from April 18 to April 13. Open daily entry is $2. Five Bob Farm is located at 3866 Channel Highway, Birchs Bay.
Where is your studio and how would you describe it?
What is the one thing you cannot work without?
What is a typical working day in your studio like?
themselves in whispers, which I have to strain to hear, and that takes time and care.
At CAT - Contemporary Art Tasmania. I’ve been a studio artist here since April last year and will have to relinquish it, somewhat reluctantly, at the end of March this year. At the moment I would describe it as a blighted mess, as it often is midproject.
Time, and plenty of it. I’m a slow artist.
Depends on what stage of the project I’m at. In the early days I mostly sit and stare out the window. As the work develops I may find myself staring at a scale model of the installation space. So there’s a bit of staring involved. And waiting. But I think it’s essential - the kinds of decisions I have to make in my work are usually subtle shifts rather than bold gestures, and they suggest
Tell us a bit about your practice and what’s next for you...
Do you listen to music while you work? I prefer to work without music. Many of my installations are prompted by my response to a particular piece of music, so listening to something else could potentially muddle the whole affair.
IN THE STUDIO WITH
…
PETER WALLER CONTEMPORARY ART TASMANIA STUDIO
As an installation artist I’m constantly in pursuit of this quality that’s hard to define, a peculiar kind of spatial experience. It involves an expansive, twinkly quality of space, and a measure of uncertainty. And it has a cold and remote feeling. Beyond that we don’t really have the language for it, which is perhaps the point. Having pursued this thing as long as I have I would say that the experience of it, and its hard-to-define character implicates mystical or Buddhist ways of being, degrees of unknowing and mindfulness. In this sense my installations are similar in intention to Zen gardens in that they try to provide a special context conducive to wordless wakefulness. None of this is certain as far as the viewer is concerned, but that’s what this nameless quality can do for me, it can wake me to the present. As for what’s next, I’m lucky enough to be part of the first round of shows at Constance ARI this year. My installation, The Clear, will be in the main space. Joey Gracia is showing in the foyer gallery and Felix Wilson has work in the Paddy Lyn. We open Friday the 14th of March. PIP STAFFORD
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Arts THE LIFE AQUATIC:
COMEDY:
LAKE AT THE THEATRE ROYAL
IN THE
THEATRES ARE TYPICALLY CONTROLLED SPACES. RARELY IS ANYTHING LEFT TO CHANCE; EVEN THE THINGS THAT MAY SEEM AD LIB, CHAOTIC OR OFF-THE-CUFF ARE MOSTLY TIGHTLY CHOREOGRAPHED. SO TO FILL A STAGE WITH WATER AND THEN MAKE DANCERS PERFORM IN IT SOUNDS A LITTLE CRAZY, YES?
SPIEGELTENT COMEDY FANS REJOICE ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE THERE’S A HOST OF EXCELLENT AUSTRALIAN ACTS ON OFFER INSIDE THE SPIEGELTENT FROM MARCH 6-23 AS PART OF THE TEN DAYS PROGRAM.
Frank Woodley - Fools Gold
Not so, says Lake Director Lisa Wilson, when we asked her about the logistics of taking a body of water to the theatre. “It takes a fair bit of effort and organisation but ultimately it is a relatively simple design (I’m sure Bruce McKinvin the designer won’t mind me saying that) as it is essentially some very large pond liners stretched over a large wooden frame. It takes a while to fill and empty but we have an exceptionally rigorous production team that has ensured that mixing water and electrical equipment won’t be a problem.” In fact it’s not the water that causes the most headaches for the production team but a forest of de-leaved trees, which are suspended upside down over the performance space; these are the things trickiest to transport and look after. The aptly and simply titled Lake is a dance and theatre work that explores the depths of human relationships. At its heart it is a story of what bubbles up from below
the surface when there are silences in a relationship and it uses the stark and beautiful waterscape as a direct metaphor for darkness, depth and surface tension. “Lake began in 2009 as a trickle of images and ideas from different sources. For the first stage development I had been thinking about what a work would look and feel like, that was based at an Australian lake, (this was after seeing a studio showing of Queensland Ballet’ Swan Lake), the extremes of intense beauty, yet chilling isolation, the stillness and solitude and primal undercurrents of what lies submerged.” Lake is rich in both its concept and its content; it draws from various art forms to create a layered visual feast. Lisa says “I think hybrid or inter-arts is pretty much the norm these days, I prefer to think of it as ‘who I like to collaborate with, to fully realise a vision for a work.’” “I think Lake is a great ‘crossover’ work. It has incredible visual design, original
materialgirl
composition and wonderful sense of theatre about it. The water covered set creates a heightened environment in which to place this piece and it’s incredibly risky as dancing and water don’t often mix well!” The collision of Australia’s oldest working theatre and a strikingly new, innovative and risky dance work is an experience that is not to be missed. Not “just” a dance work, Lake provides the audience with incredible visual design and composition. It is a work designed with a broad audience in mind. PIP STAFFORD
A fine selection of comedy cream will be on offer, featuring sharp and thoughtful comic Tom Gleeson, consistently one of Australians’ very best stand-ups in his new show Quality, Frank Woodley is presenting his show Fool’s Gold, you can catch Chaser dudes Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen who will bring their precision political stirring to Tasmania just in time for the state election and the wonderful Hannah Gadsby will fill out the stand up bill – Hannah and her deadpan style have been see on Spicks and Specks, Good News Week, Adam Hills and live at The Clubhouse in Hobart late last year. On a slightly different, but still comedy bent, check out as well Cartoobs and other Typos, a very different show presented by First Dog On The Moon. First Dog is the editorial cartoonist at Crikey.com.au and winner of a Walkley Award for his cartoon Drowned in 2012. Audiences will watch as comics come to life, get a look into the mind of political satirist and get a window into the mysteries of cartooning. This looks a fantastic and unique show, so get in quick. ANDREW HARPER
See Lake at the Theatre Royal in Hobart on March 14 and 15. Tickets are available from www.theatreroyal.com.au. The show then travels north to The Burine Arts Centre on March 19 – www.burniearts.net.
All the comedy gold and more is in the Speigeltent program. For a copy or to purchase tickets, simply head to www.tendays.org.au, phone 6210 5777 or visit the new Ten Days office located at 71 Murray Street, Hobart.
ENTRIES NOW OPEN TALL POPPIES: LATE BLOOMERS 2014
2014 BENDIGO BANK MATERIAL GIRL TASMANIA’S PREMIER ART AWARD FOR WOMEN
Celebrating and promoting the work of Tasmania’s women artists, and International Women’s Day.
ALL MEDIA | ENTRIES CLOSE: Friday, 11 April 2014 THEME Tall Poppies: Late Bloomers
PRESENTED BY:
Full details and entry form at
WWW.MATERIALGIRLARTAWARD.COM Image credit: Island Poppies by Maria La Grue www.facebook.com/warp.mag 31
Flickerfest
FLICKERFEST 2014 FLICKERFEST IS ONCE AGAIN TOURING ITS SHORT FILMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING THREE Tasmanian SCREENINGS SPREAD ACROSS HOBART, LAUNCESTON AND CYGNET AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
BEST OF AUSTRALIAN SHORTS – TOUR PROGRAMME This programme is a specially curated selection of highlights from Flickerfest’s 7 Australian competition programmes held in Bondi. Check on our Tour page for your local venue contacts & info. Screening at 50 venues nationally! Screening: On Tour | Running Time: 109 min | Classification: Under 15yrs to be w/adult
Programmed by Bronwyn Kidd, Flickerfest has been going for an impressive 23 years, and remains a key festival for Australian filmmakers, especially considering it’s an Academy qualifying festival. The tagline for this year’s tour is ‘Spectacular Short Films With Soul’ and programming is a mix of outstanding Australian and international shorts. Notable films in the international lineup include The Phone Call, starring Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent, and Today’s The Day, a musical starring Danny De Vito. Of the Australian line-up a couple of standouts include Vote Yes, set in 1967 and focusing on Australia’s referendum on Aboriginal rights, which stars The Sapphires’ Miranda Tapsell and Tango Underpants, in which Carolyn, a young backpacker, travels to Buenos Aries where she discovers the tango and “the vital importance of the right underwear”. Interestingly, both of these films are the product of crowd-funding campaigns. Tango Underpants stars Emma Booth (soon to hit Hollywood in the likes of Parker, a crime thriller starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez) and is based on a short story by Carolyn Swindell. It was adapted by John Collee (screenwriter of Happy Feet and Master and Commander) and directed by the brother and sister directing team of Khrob Edmonds and Miranda Edmonds. Tango Underpants sought $25,000 via Pozible and ended up with $107 000, which is not surprising given the calibre of the team involved. As a bonus, it also benefited from the ScreenWest 3 to 1 matched funding scheme, meaning that the WA government chucked in another $25 000. Vote Yes’s director Nick Waterman, meanwhile, says the crowd-funding option was a last resort, to fill a gap in the budget to cover post-production, but ended up being a really valuable experience. “If you really know your audience then I think it’s a really great way to raise some funds. I learnt a lot about even just marketing a film... We had a whole audience of people wanting to see this film before it was even finished.” Vote Yes used the StartSomeGood platform to raise its modest goal of $20 000. StartSomeGood partnered with IndigenousX to promote this project. IndigenousX is a social media hub founded by Luke Pearson. “We wanted Indigenous people to have that opportunity to access funds independent of government administration,” says Pearson. “It also provides an opportunity for the wider community to contribute to closing the gap in a more meaningful, practical way than the more usual symbolic efforts.” Follow the @IndigenoousX account on Twitter if you don’t already, it’s a great source of information and inspiration.
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We Keep On Dancing We Keep On Dancing is a short comedydrama about human connection expressed through the strange meeting and the even stranger dance shared by Danny the mechanic and Alan the lonesome gent with the rundown Beetle in the Rainbow Mechanics workshop. Director: Jessica Barclay Lawton Writer: Rhys Mitchell Producer: Jessica Barclay Lawton & Rhys Mitchell Running Time: 8:30 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia
Vote Yes It’s May 27, 1967 – Australia’s referendum on Aboriginal rights. Two women unite as a family come to terms with the prospect of change. Starring Miranda Tapsell (The Sapphires). Director: Nick Waterman Writer: Nick Waterman Producer: Melissa Beauford Running Time: 11 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia The Fence It’s 1992 and Cambodian refugee Virak is living at the Villawood Refugee Hostel with his daughter waiting for his application for asylum to be processed. He is working and saving so that he can bring his wife over to Australia too. He’s just been promoted at work and he’s nearly got enough money but then they start to build a fence.. Director: Lucy Gaffy Writer: Lucy Gaffy Producer: Lyn Norfor, Kiki Dillon Running Time: 16 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia
Tango Underpants Carolyn, a young Australian backpacker, travels to Buenos Aries where she discovers not only the wonders of the Tango but also the vital importance of the right underwear! Starring Emma Booth. Director: Miranda Edmonds & Khrob Edmonds Writer: John Collee Producer: Tania Chambers, Stephen Van Mil & Miranda Edmonds Running Time: 13:40 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia Woody Ever since he was a child Woody has dreamt of playing piano. The problem is that he only has wooden paddles for his hands. Stuck in a job he doesn’t want, Woody spends his days of being a concert pianist. His dreams are big, but they are about to get out of hand. Director: Stuart Bowen Writer: Stuart Bowen Producer: Jodi Matterson Running Time: 10 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia
The Amber Amulet The Masked Avenger can make things happen. Though at 10 he is considered young for a justice fighter he has already proved himself highly effective in the pursuit of peace. He has discovered powers that are locked inside gems and minerals and uses them to keep Franklin Street safe. But something is wrong in the house at the end of the street. There is a woman in trouble. When The Masked Avenger leaves a ‘happiness questionnaire’ in her letterbox a series of events are set in motion that no one could predict. This is the story of a superhero, a beagle, an amulet made of amber, and the potential that is locked inside all of us. Director: Matthew Moore Writer: Matthew Moore & Genevieve Hegney Producer: Lauren Edwards, Genevieve Hegney & Matthew Moore Running Time: 22 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia The Gift Grace is forced to face her own sexuality and the strain on her marriage when her son Charlie who has Cerebral Palsy asks to lose his virginity for his birthday. We meet the family on the night of Charlie’s birthday as Grace prepares the gift to arrive. Will the gift be all Charlie hoped for? Will this gift unite or separate the parents who stand at odds? Either way the gift is on her way. Director: LLoyd Harvey & Spencer Harvey Writer: LLoyd Harvey & Spencer Harvey Producer: LLoyd Harvey & Spencer Harvey Running Time: 15:45 min Year: 2013 Country: Australia The Chuck In 24 Beers, 3 Boys and 1 Flawless Plan. Three sixteen year old boys concoct an elaborate plan to purchase a carton of liquid gold. Director: Jon Bell Writer: Jon Bell Producer: Ryan Griffen Running Time: 11 mins Country: Australia Year: 2012
Flickerfest
BEST OF INTERNATIONAL 1 – TOUR PROGRAMME
FLICKERFEST TOUR PROGRAMME
The first of two International programmes on tour. Featuring the best short films from around the world in competition from the five International programmes held in Bondi.
LAUNCESTON
Screening: On Tour | Running Time: 101 min | Classification: Under 15yrs to be w/adult
Tour Date: Wednesday 26 March Wed 26th Mar, 7.30pm - Best Of Australian Shorts - Tour programme Bar open at 6:30pm, Films start at 7:30pm Venue: Annexe Theatre Locations: 2-4 Invermay Rd, Invermay TAS 7248 Information and bookings: 03 6324 4442
HOBART Tour Date: Thursday 27 March Thu 27th Mar, 6.45pm - Best Of International 1 - Tour programme - $17.50/ $15.50con/ $13.50 seniors-kids Thu 27th Mar, 9.00pm - Best Of Australian Shorts - Tour programme - $17.50/ $15.50con/ $13.50 seniors-kids Venue: The State Cinema
Today’s The Day Standing up against the inner voice that spreads doubt into what we believe in most our dreams. Starring Danny DeVito. Director: Daniel ‘Cloud’ Campos Writer: Daniel ‘Cloud’ Campos & Tamara Levinson Producer: Tova Dann & Spenser Susser Running Time: 13 min Year: 2013 Country: USA The Phone Call Heather is a shy lady (Sally Hawkins) who works at a helpline call centre. When Heather receives a phone call from a mystery man (Jim Broadbent) she has no idea that the encounter will change her life forever. Director: Matt Kirby Writer: Matt Kirby & James Lucas Producer: Michelle Kirkman Running Time: 20 min Year: 2013 Country: UK Rhino Full Throttle Bruno roams the streets of Berlin with his head full of questions, gazing behind the many facades and surfaces. He is seeking the soul of the city, that certain something that others might never notice. He unexpectedly meets an ally who immediately understands his way of thinking. Bruno falls in love. Everything would be fine if only his newly found soul mate did not have to move on so soon. Bruno does not have much time to express his feelings. Director: Erik Schmitt Writer: Erik Schmitt & Stephan Müller Producer: Henning Kamm & Fabian Gasmia Running Time: 15 min Year: 2013 Country: Germany
Location: 375 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart Tasmania, Australia 7000 Information and bookings: 03 6234 6318
CYGNET Tour Date: Friday 28 March
Butter Lamp A young photographer and his assistant suggest to Tibetan nomads to take their picture. Against diverse and more or less exotic backgrounds, families appear to the photographer. Through these shots, the photographer will weave unique links with each of the various villagers. Director: Hu Wei Writer: Hu Wei Producer: AMA Productions Running Time: 16 min Year: 2013 Country: France / China Miniyamba Like thousands of people around the world who everyday leave their homeland, Abdu, a young Malian, has decided to reach Europe. A trip to the Niger River to the barbed wire of the Ceuta, where dreams are confronted with the harsh reality, the distant lights of the West… Director: Luc Perez Writer: Michel Fessler Producer: Vibeke Windelov Running Time: 15 min Year: 2012 Country: Denmark
Great May 10th, 1942: a relatively minor event on the brink of world history, which, had it not really happened, would certainly be worth of being dreamt up. All of Yugoslavia is occupied by Nazi-Germany. Nikola, a young Serbian projectionist, has had more than enough. Instead of emulating his violent Partisan friends, Nikola decides to teach the Germans a lesson all by himself. His weapon of choice: The Great Dictator‘ by Charlie Chaplin. His target: a cinema for German soldiers right in the heart of Serbia. What happens there, Nikola couldn’t possibly have imagined in his wildest dreams. Running Time: 23 min Year: 2013 Country: Germany
Fri 28th Mar, 7.30pm - Best Of Australian Shorts - Tour programme - $12/$10 Venue: Cygnet Town Hall Location: 14 Mary Street, Cygnet Information and bookings: 03 6297 8399
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Arts DANCE :
MY HEART IS A HALL You’re probably Tasmanian, so if you didn’t grow up in a small town, your mum or dad might have, or you’ve spent a bit of time in one. Even if you’re from the “mainland” you’ll know what I’m talking about: small towns centre around certain things: the footy team, the petrol station, the town hall. I got married in a town hall, in a small town in Tasmania. The back of the stage was still painted with a giant, glaring Michael Jackson tribute (his face, close up) and when the man came to take it down, we asked him to leave it. The giant eyes of MJ weirdly oversee all our reception photos: like a pop-culture Dr. T. J. Eckleburg thickly painted and beatific. The hall itself was haunted by a hundred community dinners, with mismatched cutlery and clicky-clacky chairs that threaten to engulf the unwary sitter. A dodgy PA and several decades worth of revue costume cast-offs were stashed behind the stage. It cost us $30 to hire: crockery, tables, linen and all. A bargain.
This March Stompin, the contemporary dance company committed to working with and for young people, takes their new project My Heart is a Hall, on tour to small town halls across the state. Known for their groundbreaking, brave and energetic works that encompass professional dancers, young people and community members, Stompin will use both the literal space and the concept of the community hall as the subject of their latest project. Conceived by dancer and producer Emma Porteus and writer Finegan Kruckemeyer, My Heart is a Hall explores the notion of the hall as the heart of the community. PIP STAFFORD
I Digress… My point is that the town hall has heart. And so do many other halls in small towns dotted across Tasmania, and, indeed, the entire country. They are places of meeting, of celebration, of officiousness and of revelry. “At the heart of every town, there sits a building – where your grandparents danced and your footy team celebrated. People kissed in that hall, and danced in that hall, and went off to war, and moved to big cities, but the hall stayed. They came back, and the hall was still there. Because a heart keeps beating, and my heart – my town’s heart – it’s a hall.”
MY HEART IS A HALL performance season: Friday March 14 and Saturday March 15 at St.Ailbes Hall, 46 Margaret Street, Launceston Sunday March 16 at Mole Creek Memorial Hall, 110 Pioneer Drive, Mole Creek, Friday March 21 at Sorell Memorial Hall, 47 Cole Street, Sorell, Saturday March 22 at Sandford Hall, 949 South Arm Road, Sandford Tasmania All performances commence at 7.30pm. Tickets are $5 and available from www.stompin.net, Stompin in Launceston, Café Bozzey in Mole Creek, Sorell Newsagency, 15 Gordon Street in Sorell, Schoolhouse Gallery, Rosny Farm, Rosny Hill Road (adjacent Eastlands shopping centre).
THE CITY OF HOBART PRESENTS
Call for Entries
Glass and Printmaking Two acquisitive prizes of $15,000 People’s Choice Award $1000 Entries close midnight May 19, 2014 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
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PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Conditions of Entry and Forms online at hobartcity.com.au/artprize Enquiries artprize@hobartcity.com.au Tel 6238 2100
27/02/14 2:03 PM
Arts
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Guide
Guide
South 146 ARTSPACE 6 Feb – 6 March Design Tasmania ART MOB 14 Mar – 28 Mar Star Spotting BETT GALLERY 7 Mar – 1 Apr Joel Crosswell - Perry’s Realm... CONTEMPORARY ART TASMANIA Mar 8 – Apr 6 Marie-Jeanne Hoffner and Alex Pittendrigh – Le Desert COLVILLE GALLERY 21 Feb – 12 Mar Young Moderns: Julia Castiglioni-Bradshaw, Joshua Simpson, Tim Price 14 Mar – 2 Apr Jason Cordero CONSTANCE Opens 13 Mar • MAIN SPACE Peter Waller – The Clear • PADDY LYN SPACE Felix Wilson – Strange Strangers • FOYER SPACE Joey Gracia - Earth, Air, Fire, Water DESPARD 5 Mar – 24 Mar Sebastian Galloway INFINYMPH DUNALLEY WATERFRONT CAFE Opens 12 Mar Local beach Scapes Nyra Aherne FRANKIE’S EMPIRE March The Fool by Milly Yencken GONE RUSTIC STUDIO + GALLERY (ST MARYS) 4 - 28 Mar What a Site! 18 art quilts made by artists from around Australia. HANDMARK Until 11 Mar Transience: Michaye Boulter and Sally Brown 14 Mar Junko Go INKA Until 19 Mar Margaret McAteer – screenplay 20 Mar – 30 April Bronwen Jones - Towards North JIMMYS SKATE AND STREET 29 Mar to 11 Apr Worm MONA Until 21 Apr The Red Queen Hubert Duprat Roger Ballen PENNY CONTEMPORARY From 21 Feb Nicole Robson – Wish You Were Here PLIMSOLL 7 Mar – 9 Mar Nancy Mauro-Flude - Tenebris in Lux: ROSNY BARN - SCHOOLHOUSE GALLERY 7 – 23 March Out of the Ashes: Members of the Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas affected by the 2013 Dunalley bushfires
SOUTH SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE • Sidespace Gallery @ Salamanca Arts Centre 5 - 11 Mar from arid lands to southern coasts Raymond Dean • Long Gallery @ Salamanca Arts Centre 6 - 16 Mar Love the Tarkine Presented by the Wilderness Society • Sidespace Gallery @ Salamanca Arts Centre 14 - 30 Mar AUSLANDER, Nina Keri TMAG Until 1 June Drawn with Intent 14 Mar – 11 May Capital and Country 26 Mar – 5 Apr Hobart Baroque WELLINGTON GALLERY Until May 2014 Last Available Works of Thomas Andersen
NORTH ACADEMY GALLERY Tasmanian College of the Arts, (Inveresk) 21 Mar – 25 Apr Afghanistan: John Martinkus 22 Mar – 25 Apr Snapshot Photography and Migrant Women – A Tasmanian Experience 21 Mar – 25 Apr The Plimsoll Inquiry – Out takes ARTRIUM (LGH) 3 Mar – 9 Apr Paintstallation by Sara Ferrington, Sonata for Hammers : Adagio by Dan Kershaw BRAVE ART GALLERY (Longford) 1 Mar - 30 Mar Richard Klekocuik - Landscape Precis BURNIE REGIONAL GALLERY From 8 Feb DaVinci Machines DESIGN TASMANIA 14 Mar - 18 May Autumn in Design featuring: Husque - Marc Harrison (QLD) Tasmanian Oak Unlimited - Group exhibition (TAS) Focus on Ceramics - Rudolf Sibrava (TAS) Wood Collection (TAS)
COMEDY
STATE CINEMA 13 – 22 Mar Tas Bike Week Film Festival
THE BRISBANE 27 Mar The Comedy Forge
THEATRE
THE NIGHT OWL 19 Mar Late Show Go! PW1 6-23 Mar SPIEGELTENT Comedy Program SOHO 5 Mar Cloud Comedy
PEACOCK THEATRE Dec 12 – 20 The Call of the Aurora PLAYHOUSE 29 Mar – 12 April Lady Windermere’s Fan
NORTH COMEDY
THEATRE ROYAL 8 Mar An Evening with X and Wellington
DICKENS CIDERHOUSE 12 Mar Uber Comedy
THE WARATAH 20 Mar The Clubhouse presents: Tom Ballard
FRESH ON CHARLES 21 Mar Fresh Comedy presents: Tom Ballard
DANCE
DANCE
THEATRE ROYAL 14 – 15 Mar Lake
STOMPIN’S MY HEART IS A HALL 14 & 15 Mar St. Ailbes Hall, Launceston
STOMPIN’S MY HEART IS A HALL 16 Mar Mole Creek Memorial Hall 21 Mar Sorell Memorial Hall 22 Mar Sandford Hall
THEATRE
FILM CINEMONA Starts Mar 1 Rusalka (MET Opera Live in HD) Starts Mar 8 National Theatre’s War Horse (Original London Stage Production) Starts Mar 23 Prince Igor (MET Opera Live in HD) Starts Dec 7 Lost Illusions (Bolshoi Ballet Season)
BURNIE ARTS CENTRE 19 Mar Lake PRINCESS THEATRE 14 – 29 Mar Phantom of the Opera
FLICKERFEST 27 Mar State Cinema, Hobart 28 Mar Cygnet Town Hall
DEVONPORT REGIONAL GALLERY Until 23 Mar Bea Maddock’s Leaving A Mountain Guest Curator Program - Curated by Bridgett Arkless, GALLERY PEJEAN 8 Mar – 5 Apr Chris Flood – Shallow Depths HANDMARK EVANDALE 9 Mar Annual Landscape Exhibition NEW GALLERY University of Tasmania, Newnham 21 Mar – 2 May Threads of Launceston QVMAG Nov 2 – May David Keeling - A Dreamer’s Keepsake SAWTOOTH 7 Mar - 29 Mar • FRONT GALLERY & NEW MEDIA GALLERY Off The Wall - Street Art Exhibition • MIDDLE GALLERY: Half Full / Half Empty by Amber Koroluk-Stephenson • PROJECT GALLERY: Tide Travellers by Edna Broad
WARP RECOMMENDS… Joel Crosswell – Perry’s Realm @ Bett Gallery (Elizabeth St, North Hobart) Opens 7 March 6pm Runs: 7 March – 1 April Joel Crosswell’s anarchic and strangely ritualistic works are hot. Go see ‘em.
Image courtesy of Bett Gallery and the Artist.
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Event Guide
Hobart Date
Venue
Date
Acts / Start Time
Wednesday
12
MARCH Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
36
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Birdcage Bar
Pete Thomas 8pm
Grand Poobah
Orin, Rhino, Lagoon Hill Zydeco & Sozei 9pm
Republic Bar & Café
Fin Seccombe Duo 9pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Soul Session Sound System 8pm
Telegraph Hotel
Dr Fink
The Homestead
Alan Gogoll (Solo)
Wunderland
The Gentlemens Club w/ The Pearly Whites, SOIZIE
Birdcage Bar Brisbane Hotel
Venue
Acts / Start Time
Republic Bar & Café
Billy Whitton 8:30pm
Spiegeltent
Frank Woodley 7pm, Cantina 8:45pm
Birdcage Bar
Pete Thomas 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
Little Miss Music Presents 4 String Phil + Ivy Bloom + The Silverbeets
Hellenic Hall
Billy Bragg
Republic Bar & Café
Dave Wilson Band 9pm
Spiegeltent
Jude Elliot 7pm + Cantina 8:45pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Soul Session Sound System 8pm
Telegraph Hotel
The Smashers
Wunderland
The Gentlemens Club w/ New Saxons
Birdcage Bar
Glen Challice 9pm
Glen Challice 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
Gay Paris (nsw) + The Lawless Quartet + Guthrie
YVAN + Ratbag + Bad Cabins + The Hunter + Mutterland
Republic Bar & Café
Los Caronas + The Raccoons 9pm
Spiegeltent
Christopher Coleman Collective 7pm + Cantina 8:45pm + Hot Dub Time Machine 10:30pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Tattersalls Folk Club - Song for Song Series w/ Prairie Nischler, Dawnfield / Chris Belbin, Leo Creighton
The Homestead
Innaugural Games Night with Uncle Drew
The Winston
Eddie Baytos (New Orleans) and Pete Cornelius
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
BACK - Dreadnaught (vic) + Desecrator (vic) + Se Bon Ki Ra (sa) + Mephistopheles + The Dawn of Your Discontent
Brisbane Hotel
FRONT - Rogernomix (NZ) + Skun Knees + Ironhawk + Pinchgut + Hellskum
Republic Bar & Café
Sugarcane Collins 9pm
Spiegeltent
Roving Entertainment 5pm + Hot Dub Time Machine 8pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Tattersalls Folk Club - Song for Song Series w/ Harrison Manton, Tarick Stoneman, Tim Bird / Maddy Jane, Roxane Tyler, Sam Forsyth.
The Homestead
Hannah and Danah
Birdcage Bar
Glen Challice 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
DAMAGE NIGHTCLUB w/ Wil Wagner + Max Stein + Pinch Hitter + Isaac Bowen + Initials + Ceres + Knife Hands + Trespasser + DJ AshaTraya + DJ Dollar Binnie + DJ Rat Shadows
Thursday
Friday
13
14
C Bar
Jerome Hillier 8:30pm
C Bar
DJ Gezza 8:30pm
Federation Concert Hall
Gavryluk Plays Rachmaninov 7:30pm
Republic Bar & Café
Sugartrain 10pm
Republic Bar & Café
Spiral Kites + Verticoli 10pm
Rooftop
Soul Session Sound System 7pm
Spiegeltent
Lulu and the Paige-Turners 6:45pm + Cantina 8:45pm + Grace Barbe 10:30pm
Spiegeltent
Enola Fall 7pm + Cantina 8:45pm + The Vaudevillians 10:30pm
Telegraph Hotel
Micheal Clennett followed by Dr Fink
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
The Michael Priest Band & Friends
The Homestead
The Paybacks (EP Launch) + Devon Robson + Matt Bayes + Michael Priest + The Briefcase
Telegraph Hotel
Pete Thomas followed by Ebenezer Good
The Homestead
Fractangular + Off Kilter Presents - Staunch + Shadow Fx + Mustard Tiger + Newport + Reactant + Fatty Boomsticks
The Winston
Pearly Whites
Birdcage Bar
Glen Challice 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
Partyballz!
The Winston
Johnny and the B Goodes
C Bar
Tony Voglino 8pm
Wunderland
Republic Bar & Café
Boil Up 10pm
The Collection (producers night) - Close Counters, Promise, Magneetis, DJ Tweak
Spiegeltent
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo 11am, 1pm, 3pm + First Dog on the Moon 5pm + Mikelangelo 7pm + Cantina 8:45pm + Eddie Perfect and the Renovators 10:30pm
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
FRONT - The Lucky Dips (Album Launch) + Mess O’ Reds + J. Robert Youngtown + DJ BTC
Brisbane Hotel
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
MIA Trio
Telegraph Hotel
Ado & Devo followed by The Smashers
BACK - Treehouse + B-Film & The Cannibalistic Po Howard Band + Smutty & The Cleaner + Irena Xer0
The Homestead
Off Kilter feat. Anodyne Industries (USA) + Dusty Fungus (Bris) + Lysdexic (Vic) + Soundwave + Teapot
C Bar
Ebeneza Good 8pm
Federation Concert Hall
Choral Fantasy 2:30pm
Republic Bar & Café
Uncle Jed + Reuben Koops 10pm
Spiegeltent
The Listies 11am + The Tango Club 2pm + Robyn Archer 6pm + Cantina 8:45pm + Mojo Juju 10:30pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Organ Trio
Telegraph Hotel
Cam Stuart followed by The Smashers
The Winston
Tim and Scott
Waratah Hotel
Dub Bredda + Shanti Dreads
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
Bingo w/ Rambling Ryan
The Winston
The Racoons
Birdcage Bar
Glen Challice 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
ChalkFest
Brisbane Hotel
Bingo w/ Rambling Ryan
C Bar
Sambo / Tony Voglino 12:30pm
Republic Bar & Café
JaJa 8:30pm
Spiegeltent
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo 11am, 1pm, 3pm + The Gypsy Four 5pm + The Audreys 7pm + Cantina 8:45pm + Dewayne Everettsmith 10:30pm
Saturday
Sunday
15
16
The Homestead
Billy Whitton and the Hepcats
C Bar
Goodfellas / Manhattan 12:30pm
The Winston
Winston’s Bluegrass Jam
Republic Bar & Café
Peter Hicks & the Blue Licks 8:30pm
Birdcage Bar
Billy & Randal 8pm
Spiegeltent
Republic Bar & Café
Quiz Night 8:15pm
The Listies 11am, 2pm + Miz Ima Starr 5pm + The Tiger Lillies 7pm + Cantina 8:45pm
Spiegeltent
Tasmania, Tasted 11:45am + Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo 3:30pm, 5:15pm + Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen 7pm, 8:45pm
The Homestead
Innaugural Homestead Buskers Pitch
The Winston
Gadje
Wunderland
PALMED OUT ROOFTOP SESSION. With MAT CANT
Birdcage Bar
warpmagazine.com.au
Sambo 8pm
Event Guide
Date Monday
17
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
18
19
20
Venue
Acts / Start Time
Birdcage Bar
Billy & Randal 8pm
Republic Bar & Café
Joe Pirere 8:30pm
Spiegeltent
Tom Gleeson 7pm + David Bridie 8:30pm
Birdcage Bar
Sambo 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
Quiz-A-Saurus
Republic Bar & Café
Ross Sermons 8:30pm
Spiegeltent
Tom Gleeson 7pm
Birdcage Bar
Pete Thomas 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
Side Show Cabaret
Republic Bar & Café
DMR Trio 9pm
Spiegeltent
Hannah Gadsby 7pm + La Soiree 8:30pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Soul Session Sound System 8pm
Telegraph Hotel
Dr Fink
The Homestead
21
Saturday
Sunday
22
23
Monday
24
Venue
Acts / Start Time
Spiegeltent
Maria Lurighi and Andrew Legg 11am + Peter Combe 1pm, 3pm + Breabach 5:30pm + La Soiree 8:30pm
The Homestead
Soul Session Sound System
The Winston
Stolen Moments
Birdcage Bar
Billy & Randal 8pm
Republic Bar & Café
Helen Crowther 8:30pm
Birdcage Bar
Sambo 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
Game On!
Republic Bar & Café
Matthew Fagan 8:30pm
Birdcage Bar
Pete Thomas 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
The Smith Street Band (vic) + The Mezingers (usa) + Grim Fandango (wa) + Speech Patterns
Jazz Hop with Squish and Friends
Eaglehawk Neck Community Hall
Matthew Fagan “Virtuoso” 7:30pm
Tuesday
Wednesday
25
26
Wunderland
The Gentlemens Club w/ My Favourite Illusion
Republic Bar & Café
Homebrewed - Edge Radio Social Night 9pm
Birdcage Bar
Glen Challice 9pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Soul Session Sound System 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
Gorsha (vic) + The 88’s + Loobs (vic) + Babylon Howl
Telegraph Hotel
The Smashers
The Homestead
Dub Bredda
Birdcage Bar
Glen Challice 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
The Comedy Forge
Republic Bar & Café
Hayley Couper Band + Faye Blais + Genevieve Chadwick 9pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Tattersalls Folk Club - Song for Song Series w/ Michael Priest, Hannah May / Dave Elliston, Madelena Anderson-Ward
The Homestead
CillBill
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
Bird Blobs + Venuslight Overdrive
Brisbane Hotel
Real Hot Bitches 80’s Dance Troop (Lycra Disco) + DJ BTC
Grand Poobah
Friday
Date
MARK WILKINSON ‘Where the Rivers Run Tour’ 8pm
Thursday
27
Republic Bar & Café
Dub FX & Opiuo + Dameza + Newport 9pm
Spiegeltent
Hannah Gadsby 7pm + La Soiree 8:30pm + Hot Dub Time Machine 10:45pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Tattersalls Folk Club - Song for Song Series w/ Sam Nicholson, Phil McPhee, Seth Henderson / Joe Nuttall
The Homestead
Pinky Beecroft (Machine Gun Felatio) + Jacqueline Dwyer
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
BACK - BAD VIBRATIONS! w/ Uncle Geezer + Carcass of Humanity
Brisbane Hotel
FRONT - Randomorder + Lacerta + Ironhawk + Omnicide
C Bar
Pete Thomas 8:30pm
PlanB
Bass Invaders
C Bar
Shaun & Joel 8:30pm
Republic Bar & Café
Perch Creek Family Jug Band 10pm
Federation Concert Hall
Summer Nights 7:30pm
Rooftop
Soul Session Sound System
Republic Bar & Café
SW Marine Debit Clean Up Fundraiser: Dave Wilson Band + Lively Up 10pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Perch Creek Family Jug Band
Rooftop
Soul Session Sound System
Telegraph Hotel
Rum Jungle followed by Big Swifty
Spiegeltent
The Paul Capsis Revue 7pm + La Soiree 8:30pm, 10:50pm
The Homestead
Akouo (Album Launch) + Dameza + Guests
The Winston
The Breed
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
Greentheif (vic) + Verticoli + Violet Swells
Brisbane Hotel
FRONT - The Sin & Tonics + The Dead Maggies + The 88’s
C Bar
Manhattan 8pm
PlanB
The Only
Republic Bar & Café
Loon Lake + The Middle Names 10pm
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
CARNIVALE. Live Music, Games, Clowns, Chaos!
Telegraph Hotel
Micheal Clennett followed by Dr Fink
The Homestead
Reggaeink Live
The Winston
Sin and Tonics
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 9pm
Brisbane Hotel
Soi Dawg Fundraiser w/ The Roobs + Imperfecta + Asramj + The Paris End of Moonah + Roadkill + Duowls + DJ BTC + DJ No Requests + ANDY + DJ Summer Babe
Friday
Saturday
28
29
C Bar
Sambo 8pm
Telegraph Hotel
Micheal Clennett followed by Dr Fink
Republic Bar & Café
Standing Room Only: The Attraction + Forecast + Colours + Lingo + Modern Daze + Styne’s Legends 9:30pm
The Homestead
Houseguests from Hell + Stormy + The Great Unwashed
The Winston
The Bobcats
Spiegeltent
Monski Mouse’s 11am, 1pm + The Paul Capsis Revue 7pm + La Soiree 8:30pm, 10:50pm
Wunderland
CARNIVALE. Live Music, Games, Clowns, Chaos!
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 8pm
Benjafield Park (Moonah)
Moonah Taste of the World: World Music Lounge 11am
Sunday
30
Tattersalls Beer and Food Hall
Dowson Experience
Telegraph Hotel
Ado & Devo followed by Seretonin
The Homestead
SLAM (Silver Words Poetry Slam) + Bands + DJ’s
Brisbane Hotel
Bunny + Black Mourning Band + The Dockmen
The Winston
Billy Whitton
Brisbane Hotel
Bingo w/ Rambling Ryan
Waratah Hotel
The Holidays “Real Feel Tour” w/ The Cairos & Chase City 9pm
C Bar
Goodfellas / Sambo 12:30pm
Federation Concert Hall
Julia Lezhneva 7:30pm
Republic Bar & Café
Gus Mackay 8:30pm
The Homestead
Acoustic Shmoostic - FUNDRAISER for the Kingborough Helping Hand - Ben Lawless + Andreas McCarthy + Ethan Del
Birdcage Bar
Billy & Randal 8pm
Republic Bar & Café
Quiz Night 8:15pm
Birdcage Bar
Jason Patmore 8pm
Brisbane Hotel
TRASHARAMA FILMS w/ Dick Dale + Lab A
Brisbane Hotel
Bingo w/ Rambling Ryan
C Bar
Jerome Hillier / Allan Barnes Duo / Tony Voglino 12:30pm
Republic Bar & Café
Evan Carydakis Quartet 8:30pm
Monday
31
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Event Guide
Launceston Date
Venue
Acts / Start Time
The Royal Oak
Mister Bird
Watergarden Bar
Jerome Hillier 6:30pm
Wednesday
The Royal Oak
Live Music
Thursday
Watergarden Bar
The Consultants 7pm
The Royal Oak
Sugarcane Collins
Tonic Bar
Luke Parry 9pm
Watergarden Bar
Andy & The Woodman 7pm
MARCH Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
5
6
7
8
Albert Hall The Royal Oak
Live Music
Tonic Bar
Matthew Merry Garwood
Watergarden Bar
Jerome Hillier 7pm
Sunday
9
The Royal Oak
Open Folk Session
12
The Royal Oak
Andy Collins
Watergarden Bar
Jerome Hillier 6:30pm
The Royal Oak
Live Music
Watergarden Bar
The Consultants 7pm
Fresh on Charles
Island Reggae - Dub Bredda, Shanti Dreads, Reggae Inc
The Royal Oak
Live Music
Tonic Bar
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Wednesday
13
14
15
16
19
Friday
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Poppet the Clown
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Evil Cisum
Burnie
The Butter Factory
Ringmasters
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Nic & Carmel 9pm
Devonport
Molly Malones
Ball & Chain 9:30pm
7
Saturday
8
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
The Ringmasters
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Open Mic
Tapas Lounge Bar
Unbalanced
Watergarden Bar
Nic & Carmel 7pm
Burnie
The Butter Factory
The Royal Oak
Dreadnaught
Jesse Teinaki, Monique Brumby, DJ Havanna Brown
Tonic Bar
Luke Parry 9pm
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Threeza Crowd 9pm
Devonport
Molly Malones
The Rogues 9:30pm
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Evil Cisum
Watergarden Bar
Sambo 7pm
The Royal Oak
Open Folk Session
Watergarden Bar
Legends of Ireland
The Royal Oak
Live Music
Watergarden Bar
Jerome Hillier 6:30pm Live Music
Gorsha
Tonic Bar
Ball & Chain 9pm
38
Cam Sherriff (Ringmasters)
Devonport
The Royal Oak
30
Tapas Lounge Bar
Sambo 9pm
Brett & Josh 7pm
Sunday
Devonport
The Evergreen Doc White 8pm
Watergarden Bar
29
Proud Phoney 8:30pm
Spinnakers Mersey Yacht Club
Allan Barnes Duo 9pm
Saturday
Molly Malones
Devonport
Tonic Bar
28
Devonport
Mandi’s Face Painting
The Consultants 7pm
Friday
6
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Launceston Blues Club
27
Tapas Trivia
Latrobe
Watergarden Bar
Thursday
Tapas Lounge Bar
Sambo 8:30pm
The Royal Oak
26
Devonport
Hazy Days
21
Wednesday
5
MARCH
Molly Malones
Friday
23
Acts / Start Time
Tapas Lounge Bar
The Royal Oak
Sunday
Venue
Devonport
20
22
CITY
Devonport
Thursday
Saturday
Date
Gavryluk Plays Rachmaninov 7:30pm
Wednesday
Thursday
NORTHWEST
Friday
Saturday
14
15
Burnie
The Butter Factory
The Elliots
Sunday
16
Devonport
Molly Malones
Blue Cow/The Rogues/Bernie
Monday
17
Devonport
Molly Malones
Bernie/ Black Wattle/Bernie
Wednesday
19
Ulverstone
Gnomon Pavilion
Adrian Cunningham 7pm
Thursday
20
Devonport
Molly Malones
Jerome Hillier 8:30pm
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Masters Acoustic
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Poppet the Clown
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Reuben Koops
Deloraine
Little Theatre
Matthew Fagan “Virtuoso” 4pm + 9pm
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Nic & Carmel 9pm
Watergarden Bar
Jerome Hillier 7pm
Fresh on Charles
Our House
Swansea Town Hall
Matthew Fagan “Virtuoso” 3pm
The Royal Oak
Open Folk Session
The Royal Oak
Open Mic Night
Watergarden Bar
Jerome Hillier 6:30pm
Fresh on Charles
The Perch Creek Family Jug Band and Tom Dockray Live
Devonport
Molly Malones
Allan Barnes Duo 9:30pm
The Royal Oak
Live Music
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
The Unit
Watergarden Bar
The Consultants 7pm
Burnie
The Butter Factory
The Tems
Scottsdale Art Gallery Café
Matthew Fagan “Virtuoso” 7pm
The Royal Oak
The Max Hillman Show Band
Tonic Bar
Clay Soldier 9pm
Saturday
Watergarden Bar
Sambo 7pm
The Royal Oak
Somerset Barnard
Tonic Bar
Sambo 9pm
Watergarden Bar
Nic & Carmel 7pm
The Royal Oak
Open Jam Session 1pm + Open Folk Session 5pm
warpmagazine.com.au
Friday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
21
22
27
28
29
Devonport
Molly Malones
Sambo 8:30pm
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Somersewt Barnard
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Mandi’s Face Painting
Wynyard
Hotel Federal
The Tearaways 8:30pm
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
Brett & Josh
Latrobe
Mackey’s Royal Hotel
Brett & Josh 9pm
Devonport
Molly Malones
The Doctor Rocksters 9:30pm
Stanley
Stanley Town Hall
Matthew Fagan “Virtuoso” 7:30pm
Devonport
Tapas Lounge Bar
The Rock Pigs
Sunday
30
Devonport
Devonport Regional Gallery
The Perch Creek Family Jug Band 8pm
Monday
31
Ulverstone
The Gnomon Pavilion
The Perch Creek Family Jug Band 2pm
MARCH Wednesday, 05 March Mister Bird Thursday, 06 March Live Music Friday, 07 March Sugarcane Collins Saturday, 08 March Live Music Sunday, 09 March Open Folk Session Wednesday, 12 March Andy Collins Thursday, 13 March Live Music Friday, 14 March Live Music Saturday, 15 March Dreadnaught Sunday, 16 March Open Folk Session Wednesday, 19 March Live Music Thursday, 20 March Live Music Friday, 21 March Launceston Blues Club Saturday, 22 March Gorsha Sunday, 23 March Open Folk Session Wednesday, 26 March Open Mic Night Thursday, 27 March Live Music Friday, 28 March The Max Hillman Show Band Saturday, 29 March Somerset Barnard Sunday, 30 March Open Jam Session 1pm + Open Folk Session 5pm
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QUEEN OF HEARTS CALIFORNIAN DESERT BRUISERS QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE ARE NOT A VULNERABLE LOT BUT HAVE SUFFERED FOR THEIR ART THESE PAST FEW MONTHS. ...LIKE CLOCKWORK HAS WELL AND TRULY SETTLED IN CONTEMPORARY ROCK CONSCIOUSNESS – WITH ACCLAIM TOTALLY DUE – AND NOW JOSH HOMME AND HIS GROWING COLLECTIVE ARE SETTING OUT TO REINVIGORATE THEMSELVES AND THEIR FOLLOWERS. GUITARIST, VOCALIST AND SYNTH-WIELDER TROY VAN LEEUWEN BELIEVES AUSTRALIAN PUNTERS WILL PROVIDE THE TONIC NEEDED TO SOOTHE RECENT INDUSTRY-AFFLICTED WOUNDS.
“I know our Australian audiences are badass,” Leeuwen says. “They seem like they’re the true Queens fans, and they’ve been waiting years for us. We can’t wait either.” The boys haven’t played in Australia since their Soundwave set in 2011 and Leeuwen promises a more refined contextual scope this time around: “That was our nostalgia period. We’ve all grown since; we’re concerned with current stuff now.” The promise of current stuff, it seems, was not enough to hold the appeal of mainstream audiences when Queens almost performed alongside Trent Reznor and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsay Buckingham at the Grammy Awards last month. Leeuwen concedes their curbed appearance was a departure to begin with. “We don’t normally do those kinds of shows. I guess [the Grammys] are not the art awards – they’re not based on the merit of your art or music – they’re based on sales and popularity.” He admits to being most bothered by their pulled slot but insists everybody is looking forward.
“We’re most excited by our upcoming Australian tour, and especially our trip to Tasmania. It’s really a beautiful place. The photography you see is really beautiful. You can’t call it the bottom of the world – it’s not like somewhere in Mississippi. I’m really glad it’s happening.” Leeuwen suggests the quintet worked hard at accurately recreating the complex ensembles heard on ...Like Clockwork live. On the album, he says complexity was hard-earned. “You never know yourself what kind of record you’re going to make, and it wasn’t the easiest one to make.” The reception since has helped keep them happy: “We’ve got hope that we’re doing something right [laughs].” The process of reaching the creative need for ...Like Clockwork looks to have been tumultuous for all involved. Following a near-fatal botched knee operation back in 2010 the monolithic Homme was hit hard by depression, a condition that would later become his muse. Leeuwen reflects his situation later resulted well for the group.
“We were definitely pulled tighter. At the end of the day, when your friend is going through something, you go through it too.” He never pegged Homme as being capable of such vulnerability but says the closer unit responded well. “This is new territory for Josh. I’ve been friends with him for 8 years, and we’ve never dealt with anything like it.” Tracks like ‘Fairweather Friends’ then, Leeuwen supposes, speak of Homme’s desire for true companionship in the face of mortality. “Like the song says, if you can’t go through battles with your friends, then you don’t really have friends.” Regardless, as professionals, the troupe had no trouble courting help from erstwhile friends. Troy recalls having a “feather-less” Elton John on-side as particularly challenging for the team. “On the day that Elton showed up, everybody rolled up their sleeves,” he says. “He thought coming in we’d have him singing on a ballad but we invited him in on ‘Fairweather Friends’, and he assimilated so well.” Iconic though John’s voice is, Leeuwen reckons he had no problem with supporting their final mix rather than sitting atop it. “He’s so versatile, so able to work with music that is foreign to him. It turned out great. He got so excited by our ideas and that made me feel great. But we didn’t try and disguise him in there.” With the coming ...Like Clockwork tour comes also the Australian debut of drummer Jon Theodore. In comparison to Joey Castillo, who has drummed under Homme for ten years, Leeuwen says Theodore’s approach is “more finessed.” “Joey is a monster of a man,” he says, “and plays with so much power. Jon has the same aggressive sensibility, but he’s not as much of a thrasher.” He thinks Dave Grohl represents a junction between their two styles: “Dave has all of their stuff. He’s a freak.” Apply Jon to ...Like Clockwork
exclusively, though, and Leeuwen believes he’s the best fit. “Jon works well with the new material, because there’s some delicate stuff, and together we didn’t realize how hard it was to play live. But Jon’s able to pull back and swing it a little.” Leeuwen himself has been a member of Queens since Lullabies to Paralyze dropped in 2006 and accurately rates his presence as perpetually vital to the band’s core sound. “I played a lot of bass to begin with,” he remembers. “I played a lot of piano, a lot of lapsteel (think ‘3’s and 7’s, ‘Sick Sick Sick’) and guitar occasionally.” He says ...Like Clockwork required more. “We wanted a modern sound, so I brought in some synths. We used Minimoogs and the like.” Alongside initiate Michael Shuman and Dean Fertita, Leeuwen has everything covered on-stage. “We’re able to recreate whatever a given song needs. There’s a lot of shit on stage, I will say that. We’ve got about seven keyboards up there, a lapsteel, and our guitars. We’re all singing now too.” Leeuwen’s assessment seems to be that Australian fans will see an updated and confident Queens of the Stone Age when mid-March rolls around. Homme and his crew have dealt with their hindrances and are still an aggressive, subversive institution bent on progress, so the remaining hope is few will recognise them for all their growth when finally seen and heard. NATHAN HEWITT
Queens Of The Stone Age bring their ...Like Clockwork tour to Hobart on Monday March 24 at the Odean Theatre. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
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